Aura in the Dark
by SilverStorm300
Summary: "You two form the greatest team; the ultimate combination. Separately, you aren't any more powerful than any other Aura Guardian. But together... you two can do great things, things that people wouldn't believe. In this crisis, we need you now more than ever. We need you to find the light in the dark." / AshxMay / AAMayL / AdvanceShipping / SatoHaru / Rated T / Happy Reading!
1. Chapter 1: Reunion

**Chapter 1: Reunion**

**A/N: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOTH PROLOGUES THAT ARE LOCATED ON MY PAGE, YOU SHOULD GO READ THOSE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LOST. GO NOW, THEY'RE ON MY PAGE; THEY'RE CALLED 'PROLOGUE I: AURA GUARDIAN' AND 'PROLOGUE II: LIGHT PRINCESS'.**

**First off, I'm not going to try to BS you with all that, "This is my first fanfic, so be nice, pleeeeeaaaaseeeee!". If you're going to review, please be honest and give constructive criticism. Being honest is different from being negative. If there's something I should fix, let me know! I don't want negativity, I want honesty and constructive criticism. Thanks!**

**Let me say this here: From the start I'll be in serious shippy mode, and while this may seem to go against the canon, I'm sure that everyone knows that as you mature you start to feel more comfortable hugging, touching, etc. That's what I'm gonna make Ash and May feel here, namely Ash, as he never was really good with things like this. This is even addressed briefly in the chapter, so…. Also just so you know, Ash is in his Kalos outfit and May is in her ORAS outfit, in case you weren't paying attention.**

**I'm going to list all of the characters ages AND heights as they are introduced, just so you can get an idea on how old and tall they so you can do some visualizing. So here's the first 3 characters...**

**Ash: 15 & 6 Months / 5'7"**

**May: 14 & 11 Months / 5'4"**

**Marian: 32 / 5'8"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or any of the characters that are not mentioned in bold text as OCs. Just wanted to get that out there, hopefully I don't need to say that again.  
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* * *

><p>"Jubilife City!<p>

Ash yelled as he entered the city from the port, with people around him turning their heads towards him in confusion. "Doesn't it feel great to be back, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" It nodded excitedly. They walked through the city, looking at all the familiar sights. The Poketch Factory, all the restaurants, the Contest Hall…

"Huh?"

Ash turned and saw a poster showcasing the upcoming Jubilife Contest. "The Contest is tomorrow, huh?" Ash recalled how the Sinnoh Contests happened and how much fun they were.

'_I actually kinda want to stay and see it, it'll be great to see another Sinnoh Contest.'_

"Hey, buddy, what do you think if we stay here and see the Contest tomorrow? Don't you think it would be fun?" Ash asked with a grin, to which it nodded.

"Alright, then what say we go check out the Contest Hall?" Ash walked off with Pikachu on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Jubilife City!"<p>

May yelled as she entered the city from Route 203, of course, not attracting as much attention as her male counterpart, seeing as she entered through the forest. "I'm ready for the Contest, too!" She added, trying to take her mind off what it had been thinking about since the whole "Mew" incident.

'_Is Ash here yet? I wonder if I'll see him...'_ May thought hopefully, not being successful in her attempt to distract herself. She headed straight for the Contest Hall to register.

As she walked, she turned to her left and saw teenage boy with messy jet black hair and a Pikachu on his shoulder, standing in front of a sign for the Contest. "Ash…?"

A car soon drove in front of her sight, and the boy was gone. May rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

'_Was that real or just a hallucination?..." _May decided to let it go for now. She crossed the street and arrived at the Contest Hall.

As she arrived she noticed the large number of people there, more than normal.

"They must be having an open stage today." May noticed. She walked up to the table and talked to the lady, successfully registering.

* * *

><p>Ash arrived at the Contest Hall and entered, noticing the large amount of people there. "PIkachu, don't you think there are too many people here for the day before the contest?"<p>

"Pika." He nodded and looked around at all the people.

Ash then recalled the first contest he saw in Kanto. "Oh, I get it, they must be having an open stage today." Ash smiled. "Wanna go see Marian?"

"Pika!" Pikachu grinned and nodded. Ash walked past the registration desk and into the arena. He saw Marian busy talking to staff members operating the lights/microphones etc.

He walked down the walkway towards the stage, and waved. "Hey, Marian!"

"Pika-chu!" It waved at the lady.

She looked over to find someone she would not have expected to see in a long time. "Well well! It's Ash, and Pikachu! Welcome back!" She smiled and waved.

Ash jumped on to the stage and stood next to her. She noticed his physical appearance compared to last time. "You sure have grown, young man."

"Thanks." He looked around at everyone. "I see your job hasn't gotten any easier."

She chuckled. "No, not really. In fact it's probably gotten worse." Ash laughed at her response. He looked around at everyone once again in disbelief.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you competing or just watching?"

He turned to her. "Just watching. We were passing through and saw a poster for the contest and decided to stay and watch." Ash explained. "It's been a while since I've seen a Sinnoh Contest so I'm expecting a good show."

"Oh, you won't be disappointed. The coordinators in Sinnoh have been really impressive." She explained.

"Really?" Ash questioned as Pikachu decided to take a break and jumped to the ground. "Have you seen any Pokemon you've never seen before?"

"Yes, several." Marian said as she bent down and held her hand out, which Pikachu happily approached. "Like, I saw one the other day, it was a, Delphox, I think." She explained as she scratched Pikachu's head.

"A Delphox, huh? That's a Fire and Psychic type, I'm pretty sure." Ash remembered.

"Is it? No wonder. What region is it from?" Marian asked him.

"Kalos."

"Kalos?"

"Yeah, it's a faraway region famous for its scenery and its busy capital, Lumiose City." Ash explained.

"Lumiose City?" Marian stood back up. "I've heard of it, it's popular among tourists because there's so much to do there, isn't that right?"

"Yeah, a Delphox is the final evolution of Kalos's fire-type starter, Fennekin." Ash said.

"Well that explains a lot." Marian noted.

Silence occurred for a moment.

_'I wonder when...'_ Ash's mind began to trail off for a moment.

"So, when's the Grand Festival here?" Ash inquired.

"About a month and a half from now, at Lake Valor."

"Is it always there?" Ash asked her.

She thought for a second. "No, but it's definitely the best place to have it here in Sinnoh."

"Makes sense. After all its-"

"Ash!"

* * *

><p>May walked past the desk after registering, walking into the arena. The first thing she saw was all the staff members running around, conversing, and carrying things around the arena. She saw all the other coordinators talking with each other, and some looking up on stage.<p>

She followed their gazes and noticed something that actually caught her attention. She saw Marian, in her usual outfit, talking with a slightly shorter teenage boy, in jeans, a blue and white jacket, and a red baseball cap. He had messy, jet black hair hidden under the hat. She immediately identified him and yelled his name.

"Ash!"

* * *

><p>Ash looked to where he heard his name. He looked to see a teenage girl running down the walkway towards the stage. Her brown hair was in two braids in front of her face. She was wearing a red tank top and bicycle shorts, with white shorts over top. She also wore a red bandana tied around her head.<p>

"No way." Ash said in disbelief.

She ran up the stairs on to the stage, running straight at Ash. She was noticeably shorter than him.

"May!"

Ash began to walk towards her as she kept running, holding his arms out. She jumped as she reached him, wrapping her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his arms around her back.

They held their embrace for a moment, caught each other's hold, not wanting to let go. Ash slowly rubbed May's back, up and down, up and down. May broke their silence, allowing her feelings to get the best of her.

"I missed you so much, Ash." May said into his shoulder.

Ash was a little surprised, but didn't break the embrace. His face began to heat up, and he smiled. "I missed you too." Ash confessed.

Marian watched from a distance, a smile present on her face. '_They look great together like that.'_

May looked up, meeting his eyes. Words couldn't explain how safe she felt, closed inside a barrier of arms that felt virtually unbreakable. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest, securing her position.

Ash raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Getting comfortable, are we?"

May's face became a deep red. "No, I just-"

"I don't mind." Ash assured her, giggling. He gave her his signature smile, which she returned, and she continued from where she left off. Ash affectionately rested his head on hers. He could instantaneously feel the strange feelings he'd experienced around May resurface.

_'I could stay like this forever...'_ May thought.

Pikachu was on the ground next to the embracing pair, smiling, despite that he was smirking in his head. He could tell this was the start of something big, and he couldn't wait to tease his trainer about it.

Marian cleared her throat loudly, and the color of a ripe tomato colored the pair's faces. She knew that they probably would've stayed like that for a very long time, and they were up on stage where everyone could see them.

Ash pulled back, keeping his hands on May's shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. She looked back into his, caught in his gaze. Caring, dark auburn, looking into cheerful, bright sapphire.

"May, you look great!" Ash noticed.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, jumping onto May's shoulder. He nuzzled his cheek against hers affectionately, making her giggle. "Thanks guys. You look great too. I like the new outfit." She complimented, looking him up and down, his [not muscular] strong legs from all that running, his [not muscular, but not thin,] arms, his chest and stomach.

"Thanks." He paused to look at her outfit. "I like your outfit too, May." Ash confessed, following her lead, being able to witness her entire figure. Being more mature, he couldn't help but notice the well-shaped hourglass figure she displayed. May blushed lightly, and looked away. Marian approached them.

"I take it you two are 'acquainted'." She teased.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." May admitted, a blush still present on her face.

Ash looked over at her and recalled their history. "We traveled all the way through Hoenn and Kanto together. I guess we missed each other more than we realized." Ash grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

May smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess so." She said despite the fact that she knew exactly how much she missed him. "How are you, Marian?"

"I'm just fine, May. I look forward to your performance in this Contest." Marian smiled.

"Thanks, Marian. And I'm gonna win, too!" May made a fist.

"So you're competing then?" Ash asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, if I win I'll have my fifth ribbon here in Sinnoh." May explained.

"I see you're doing great, like always." Ash smiled. He'd always admired coordinators' abilities to create beautiful move combinations and masterfully showing the best of their Pokemon, and May was no different. He also admired the contest battle, as he never really showed much understanding or talent for it, and the coordinators somehow figured out how to work opponent's attacks against them, or making gorgeous combinations of moves or using a move a different way to make a different result.

"Well you're no slouch either, Mr. 'I almost beat the Kalos Champion'." May teased. She'd always admired skillful battlers, as, compared to contests, they had to show much faster reflexes and quick thinking. She'd never really shown much skill or talent for regular battling. While the field is the same every time in contests, battles took place on just about every type of environment imaginable. Skilled battlers could adapt to any field they were put on, find a way to redirect attacks, or use the field to their advantage. They also knew their Pokemon extremely well, knowing what each part of the body is capable of, and knowing what each move is capable of. Compared to contests, battlers had to know their Pokemon inside and out.

"Yeah, I guess not. So, you've registered, I hope?" Ash asked with a smirk.

May raised an eyebrow. "Of course, why wouldn't I have?"

"Then you really HAVE gotten better, compared to Hoenn and Kanto. I don't think I can count the number of times you said you would register and didn't." Ash said teasingly, smirking.

"Yeah, right. We see each other for the first time in years, and you're already cracking a joke. That's Ash alright."

All of sudden, two sounds were heard like a Pokemon being released from it's Pokeball. Ash's Riolu and May's Kirlia took shape on the stage. Once they caught a glimpse of each other, their faces lit up and they embraced, similarly to what Ash and May did.

"I guess those two must know each other…" May observed.

Ash smiled. "Like trainer, like Pokemon, I guess." He looked at May. "I didn't know you had a Kirlia, May. That's great."

"Well, I didn't know you had a Riolu. I just caught my Kirlia." May explained.

"Really? Because I just caught my Riolu a couple days ago." Ash responded.

"Hmm…" The pair said in unison. May decided then to change the subject while Riolu and Kirlia broke and started conversing.

"So why are you here, Ash?" May inquired, not quite remembering what Mew had told her.

Ash smiled sheepishly. "I'm headed to Canalave City and then to Iron Island to train to be an Aura Guardian while I prepare for my rematch with Diantha."

"About time you put that power of yours to good use. You can't just have Aura Powers and NOT use them." May said.

"Right. Also, this Riolu has the same Aura as me, which means we can send each other messages mentally. So, I figured that we'd make a great Aura team." Ash explained.

"That makes sense." May looked around. "Well, it's getting late, should we head to the center? I hear you're staying to watch the contest." She winked.

Ash was taken aback. "How'd you know that?"

She giggled. "Call it, girl's intuition. Now, let's go. Kirlia, come on!" She called her Pokemon with Pikachu still on her shoulder.

"Riolu, you too. Let's move." Ash called his Riolu.

* * *

><p>As they headed to the Center, the pair was going through interrogation. The crescent moon gave a dim, though comforting silvery glow.<p>

"Have you caught any other new Pokemon, May?" Ash asked her.

"Well, yeah. Here, look." She held a Pokeball facing the top of her head where Pikachu was perched. Pikachu caught a glimpse of that and hopped back over to Ash. She pushed to button to let it out. The ball released a small, tiger cub like Pokemon with a long tail with a star at the end.

"Shinx!" The Pokemon joyfully cried out as it was released.

"Pika!" Pikachu hopped on top of Ash's head to talk with the Shinx.

"A Shinx. Nice work, May. You finally got a friend for Pikachu." Ash complimented.

"Thanks, Ash. I caught it a little after I arrived. It was injured in the forest, so I took it to a Pokemon Center, and after it was healed, it wanted to travel with me." She explained.

"That's great May. I'm glad you haven't stopped keeping your mind on other people and Pokemon." He gave her his signature smile. She blushed in response.

They arrived at the center and saw Nurse Joy looking through her computer at the front desk.

"Nurse Joy!" The pair said in unison.

"Hello there. Can I help you?" She asked kindly.

"Yes, can you get us a room?" Ash asked.

"Of course. Here…" She handed him a key. "You two have room 111."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Ash and May said.

They walked in comfortable silence to the room, and Ash unlocked it, and opened the door and flipped the light switch.

The pair walked into a moderate sized room with twin beds on either sides. There was also a loveseat in the back of the room settled in front of a window facing a small TV on the same side as the door.

They smiled at each other and recalled their Riolu and Kirlia, and settled in the beds on either side.

"Night, May."

"Night, Ash."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The Shipping shall continue in the next chapter! Just to let you know, everything will be based on ORAS/XY, so when I begin the Contest next time don't be mad when I don't describe her Wallace Cup outfit. Sorry.**

**Anyway, if you wanna see some gameplay and commentary from me, you can head on over and sneak a peek at my YouTube Channel, SilverGaming100. Thanks!**

**See you next time.**


	2. Chapter 2: Mega Evolution

**Chapter 2: Mega Evolution?**

**A/N: OK, another chapter and more cute shippy moments. May's gonna be introduced to Mega Evolution here. Also in the next chapter I'll be introducing an important OC, who's May's Sinnoh Contest Rival.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and to those people who helped me improve my writing. All those questions you had, will more likely than not be answered sooner or later! Thanks again!**

* * *

><p>May awoke to the sound of the TV, the news, to be specific, in her shorts and black tank top. As she awoke, she thought she heard the female news reporter say something about a 'Rayquaza Mega Evolution'. She also heard Ash whisper- "Mega Rayquaza…". She also heard him gasp after the reporters said something, "It doesn't need a stone to Mega Evolve.".<p>

Ash looked at his thick, black bracelet with a stone embedded in it. The symbol on the stone petrified him every time, just by the sheer power and mysteriosity it possessed. The symbol resembled that of a strip of DNA…

Ash was wearing his blue jeans, black and red high socks, along with his black undershirt. May was in her black tank top along with her bicycle shorts.

May sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw Ash in his jeans and black t-shirt. "Ash, what's this about, 'Mega Rayquaza? What's that?"

Ash grinned. "Morning, sleepyhead. I assume you're ready for the contest?"

"Of course!" May fist pumped.

"That's good. But, since it's the only open contest they're having, it's gonna be at night." He looked at the TV again. "You got time."

She blinked. "'Open Contest'?" May asked.

"Yeah, I just heard about it from Nurse Joy: apparently, this year the Jubilife Contest will have an open ceiling, so we'll be able to see the night sky," Ash told her.

"Oh. Interesting." May thought out loud. "That's still not gonna change the fact that I'll win!"

Ash smiled. "You're learning well, my pupil." he joked.

May smiled back, remembering momentarily that Ash was the original to display necessary overconfidence. "Of course, Master Ketchum." she bowed playfully.

They laughed together, and May came over and sat next to him on the loveseat, watching the news, Ash on the left, May on the right.

Without much thinking, May instinctively scooted closer to Ash on the loveseat, who, of course, by instinct, didn't mind whatsoever. He couldn't explain it, but, unlike in previous journeys, he felt perfectly comfortable with May so close to him. Previously, he hadn't minded when Serena had been close to him, similarly to the position he and May were in right now. He figured that it was because he was more mature and tolerate, but he didn't know for sure, but he didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable in a position like this one.

May then abruptly, but softly, rested her head on his shoulder. She found his shoulder to be almost as comfortable as the Pokemon Center pillow, but what she didn't know is that she would be the only one to think so. He took a second to react; when he felt her head on his shoulder he was initially surprised, but soon smiled, as it felt perfectly comfortable. Ash placed an arm around her shoulders, laying it on the top of the loveseat, and softly leaned his head on hers.

The news continued to talk about Mega Rayquaza. "Ash? What is, 'Mega Rayquaza'?"

"Well, it's a stronger form of Rayquaza that's reached by a process called Mega Evolution. There are many non-legendary Pokemon and a couple legendary Pokemon can do this. For example, my Charizard and Sceptile, who I have now, can Mega Evolve. I have Charizard's stone, but not Sceptile's."

"Hold up, hold up, slow down. Explain this in more detail. I'm not sure I get it." May said.

"OK. Well, Mega Evolution is basically a type of Pokemon evolution that is more powerful and complicated than regular evolution. The only Pokemon that can Mega Evolve are Pokemon who cannot evolve any further regularly. When a Pokemon Mega Evolves, they gain more power than they would've if they evolved normally."

"Really? Is it permanent?" May asked.

"Nope; Pokemon can change back to their normal forms after Mega Evolving."

"That's pretty handy." May commented.

"Of course: the only way Mega Evolution is even possible is by having two stones." Ash explained.

"What kind of stones?" May inquired.

"One goes to the trainer, the other to the Pokemon. The trainers all receive identical stones; the stone is called the Key Stone. On the other hand, each Pokemon that can Mega Evolve has a unique stone, for example Charizard uses a stone called the Charizardite Y. Sceptile uses the Sceptilite. When the Pokemon is ready to Mega Evolve, the trainer just touches the Key Stone, and the two stones connect and allows the Pokemon to Mega Evolve.

"Here…" Ash held his left arm out for May to see. He had a thick, black bracelet with a rainbow colored stone embedded in it. "This is a Key Stone. It comes in all sorts of different accessories. This one's called the Mega Ring, but there are also gloves that have one embedded in it, or even earrings with a Key Stone in them."

"Wow…" May was dumbfounded. "So, can I see one?"

"Sure, but, I feel pretty comfortable right here. I think I'd like to stay here for a little while." He grinned, though May was unable to see it, being that her head was on his shoulder.

May grinned as well. "Yeah, you're right. I am feeling nice and settled in here. But, the news is not very exciting. Change the channel, would you?"

"Sure. I don't like the news when they start talking about politics. Politics suck." Ash drew out the last word and grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

May giggled at him. "You're right about that. Talk about false advertising. Every commercial is a straight-up lie."

"No kidding. I hope I never get involved with politics. Ever." Ash said while continuously pushing the change channel button.

"Amen," May finished.

They laughed together once again, as they continued to watch the TV, this time instead watching the Big Bang Theory, and humorous animated show.

As they sat, May couldn't help but feel her face heat up. She thought she'd never see the day when Ash actually treated her the way he had since they reunited. Though she knew some things he didn't, she began to actually believe that what Mew had told her was true. Ash had never, EVER treated her like this, much less any other girl, from what she knew. In the past 24 hours, he had treated her with more affection than he would've in two of their Hoenn/Kanto journeys. On the other hand, Ash was much more focused on the show, rather than their position.

Other than frequent laughing, there wasn't much interaction between the two. May's head still lay on his shoulder, and his head lay on hers. Pikachu was curled up in May's lap, who was running her fingers through its soft, yellow fur.

So they sat, watched, and enjoyed each other's company, for what may be the only peaceful moment they'd get for a while.

* * *

><p>"Charizard, Mega Evolve!"<p>

Ash placed two fingers on the spot on his Mega Ring that held the Key Stone, then raised his wrist high. The Mega Stone, orange in color, hung around the flying lizard's neck, began to form beams of energy which connected with the Key Stone's own beams of energy. An orange glow enveloped Charizard, which began to change its shape. Its wings grew larger and more rigid, its two horns shrank and a longer one formed in the middle of them, its tail grew longer, and the flame on it became larger, and it grew blade-like formations on both of its arms. The orange glow disappeared, revealing the newly Mega Evolved Mega Charizard Y.

The dragon-like Pokemon let out a magnificent roar, signaling its successful Mega Evolution, also having the DNA-resembling symbol of Mega Evolution appear and quickly disappear in front of it. The sun also strengthened, showing its newly gained ability.

May, now fully dressed, let out a gasp and her eyes began to sparkle. "That's amazing!"

Ash looked over at her. "Isn't it? I still can't quite believe it myself. This whole concept of Mega Evolution seems to be entirely shrouded in mystery, you know?" He spoke a surprisingly intelligent question.

"Yeah, you're right. So, its not permanent, you said?" May asked.

"Uh-huh. Like, you can just have it Mega Evolve for the length of the battle, then after the battle it'll change back." Ash answered.

"So, can I see it battle?"

"Uh, I can try to get some targets from Nurse Joy if she has any." Ash thought out loud.

He quickly ran inside the Center, and soon came running back out. "She's got some in the back, come on!"

The pair ran towards the back, followed by Pikachu and Charizard. Once they arrived there, Ash stopped a good distance away from the targets.

"Ready, Charizard? Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

It let out powerful stream of fire that easily sublimated the target.

"Dragon Claw!"

It flew towards the target quickly, turning its blades on its arms blue, then formed an X, slicing the target clean in that shape.

"Solar Beam!"

Charizard flew back to where Ash was and it quickly let out a yellow beam of light that broke the target into an uncountable amount of pieces.

"Now, Aerial Ace!"

It began to fly towards the final target with incredible speed, the signature white streaks of light formed around its head showing the succession of Aerial Ace. It flew directly through the target with ease, causing it to be broken into, well, too many pieces.

"Good Lord, Ash. What in the world have you been doing while I haven't been with you?" May asked teasingly.

"Nothing much, obviously." Ash smirked.

"Right, obviously." May rolled her eyes at his newfound sarcastic attitude.

Ash went over to Charizard and patted its side. "Thanks, Charizard." It glowed for a split second, turning back into Charizard. Ash returned it to its Pokeball.

May ran over to him and grabbed his shoulder. "Ash, come on! I'm hungry, let's go get lunch!"

"Food? Sounds good, let's go!" Ash smiled. May giggled at his boyish response and they ran into the Center in search of lunch.

Little did they know they were being watched by three persistent members of Team Rocket…

"Well now we know for sure what that Mega Charizard can do. Watching from the stands selling concessions does not give us a good look. We have to be more careful if we're gonna get Pikachu." The female, purple-haired member suggested.

"Yeah, like dat's gonna happen. If we eva got a chance to get Pikachu, dis ain't it." The Meowth stated.

The blue-haired male eyed the Pokemon, realizing the amount of truth in what he said. "And why is it that he always manages to find expired twerps? It's fine having to deal with one all the time. I don't need old twerps reappearing so I have to deal with more than one old one. I appreciate new twerps, thank you."

"Yeah, uh-huh, ya got dat right, James. We don't need old twerps against us 'cause they already know who we are. They'll attack us in no time." Meowth agreed.

"Shut it! New twerps, old twerps, it doesn't matter! We'll take that Pikachu anyway!"

"Wow, Jessie sure is optimistic…" James sighed.

"Yeah, we might as well just give up now, Jess." Meowth stated apprehensively.

"You think I'm gonna let years of pursuing that Pikachu go to waste? No!" Jessie shouted.

"You know, we're probably better off finding a new twerp entirely. I'm done with the old twerp." James said.

"Yeah, we neva get dat Pikachu anyways. Let's get outta here." Meowth began to leave.

"Promotion!"

James and Meowth stopped in their tracks. They thought about what Pikachu could do for their current status. They came back and joined Jessie.

"Say it with me!" Jessie whispered.

"Executives! Personal Bank Accounts! Jet Packs! Money!" The trio whispered.

* * *

><p>"Come on out everyone!" Ash and May shouted at the same time. Ash threw five pokeballs, while May threw six. Ash's Charizard, Sceptile, Greninja, Staraptor, and Riolu joined Ash's Pikachu in one group, while May's Blaziken, Wartortle, Glaceon, Beautifly, Shinx and Kirlia came out and formed another group.<p>

The pair had decided to let out all their Pokemon and greet the others' individually. So, that's what they were doing.

Ash walked over to May's group of Pokemon while she monitored the interaction.

"Blaziken! You look as strong as ever." Ash held out a fist to the Pokemon, to which it softly punched it.

"Blaziken!" It shouted in its characteristically deep voice. "Pika!" The mouse waved to its now massive friend.

"Wartortle, of course." Ash lightly scratched the turtle's head, to which it grinned lightheartedly at Ash.

Beautifly flew over and perched itself on Ash's head. "Beautifly! Nice to see you!" Ash and Pikachu waved, and the Butterfly Pokemon responded with a smile.

Glaceon walked over and nudged his leg. Ash looked down and smiled wide at it. "Well, hello Glaceon! Did you miss me?" He asked playfully. Glaceon responded with a wide smiled and a nod, as Ash sat down to scratch its head. The Frost Pokemon began to purr lightly, smiling. Pikachu jumped down in front of Glaceon and the two began their own conversation.

Ash stood back up. "And, of course, Shinx and Kirlia." Ash waved, to which both Pokemon waved back with smiles on their faces.

As if on cue, when Ash was done, May walked over to Ash's group of powerful Pokemon.

"Charizard, of course." May reached up and Charizard lowered its head, and May scratched it. Charizard smiled and let out a soft roar.

"Sceptile! It's been a while, huh?" May asked, a grin on her face. Sceptile retained its look of uncaring arrogance, but it opened its eyes and smiled at May. It turned around to offer its tail to May.

_'Oh, I get it! This is how Treecko shake hands!'_

May recalled when Ash finally gained this Pokemon's trust. She smiled and reached to grab its tail, shaking 'hands' with it.

May walked over to Staraptor. "So, I guess this is your Staravia from when I was at the Wallace Cup?" She asked Ash.

Ash nodded. "You got it."

May looked back over to it. "Hi Staraptor, remember me?"

"Star! Star-raptor!" It nodded, smiling. May lightly scratched its head, making sure not to anger it. Birds were delicate when it came to gestures like scratching and petting.

She then walked over to Greninja, who eyed her curiously. They both looked over at Ash at exactly the same time, waiting for an explanation. Ash laughed slightly as he noticed this, but nevertheless walked over to introduce them.

He walked over to May first. "Greninja, this is May. She's a really great friend of mine who I traveled with for a long time."

He then walked over to Greninja. "May, this is Greninja. It's one of my newer Pokemon, from Kalos; its a really great Pokemon, and its really strong and incredibly fast."

May looked much less confused. "Oh, OK! Well, nice to meet you Greninja!" She held out her hand.

The Water Frog Pokemon nodded silently in return, meeting her hand with his own webbed one. May smiled, as it seemed like one of those Pokemon who was nice, so long as you remained on its good side.

Lastly, May approached Ash's new Riolu. "Hi, Riolu!" She waved, and it waved back in return.

May then felt a small, furry Pokemon jump to her shoulder. "Of course, you count too Pikachu. You look just great!" Pikachu gratefully rubbed his cheek against hers. "I can't wait to see how much stronger you've gotten since I saw you last."

Ash placed his hands on his hips, satisfied. May followed his lead, grinning. "Well, now that our giant meeting session is over, what say we get a little rest before the Contest?" Ash proposed.

May nodded. "Sure, I could use some rest." So they headed back into the Pokemon center.

* * *

><p>May was sitting in front of the mirror, slightly trembling, looking at herself.<p>

She was dressed in a white short sleeve blouse, with a pink bow tied to the stomach area. The blouse was slightly short, and she also wore a ribbon of sorts around her neck. She wore a yellow bracelet with a heart attached. She also had on a longer, pink skirt, and she wore white and yellow shorts underneath. She wore pink and white heeled boots with bows attached to each. She also wore a purple and pink ribbon in her hair holding it in a small ponytail.

[Just look up 'May Contest': It's her ORAS contest outfit; except the skirt is a normal skirt like from Dawn's contest outfit (I don't really like the normal skirt)]

She heard the door open, but decided to ignore it, and just continued to stare at herself. She saw the figure of a teenage boy in a blue and white jacket with a Pikachu sitting on his shoulder appear behind her in the mirror. "May, what's wrong? Why are you trembling?"

She stood up and faced Ash, still slightly trembling. "Ash? How do I look? Will I be OK? I'm so nervous!"

Ash chuckled and looked at her sparkly new outfit. "May, your outfit looks great on you, don't worry. You'll be just fine. Why are you so nervous?"

"Pika!" It agreed with its trainer and jumped on to her shoulder.

She took a set of deep breaths. "I guess… I'm just used to having the contest for my fifth ribbon be the last one before the Grand Festival, and I'm being paranoid." she stated, still sounding rather apprehensive.

"Don't worry, May. Even if it was the last one, you always come out on top, and you know that," Ash reassured. "Now come here, don't be nervous about this, you'll be fine," He held his arms out as a signal for her to enter his embrace. Pikachu noticed this and hopped off May's shoulder on to the floor.

Without hesitation or contemplation of why he was doing this, she entered his arms and closed her eyes, resting her head in his ever-comfortable chest, and wrapped her arms around him. He did the same, rubbing her back, up and down, comforting her. Almost instantly, she felt herself calm once again, and she smiled wide. Since he was still under the impression that she was still unstable, he continued to comfort her, so she remained in his embrace, enjoying it.

_'As long as I have his support, I can't lose...'_

Though her mind was resisting, she left his embrace and smiled at him. "Pika-chu!" It raised an arm in assurance, retaking its position on her shoulder. She looked over at the mouse and smiled.

_'He's here, supporting me, cheering for me. His support...'_

"Thanks, guys. I don't know what I would do without you." Ash felt himself delighted to see May's smile.

_'...is all I need.'_

He gave her his signature grin, which May could never get enough of. "Well then, I'm expecting a good show young lady." He said in a weird, narrator-esque voice.

May giggled at his response. "Well, if your goal was to get me in a good mood, that's what you did. I'm ready now!" She fist pumped.

Ash placed his hands on his hips. "Good. Now, I'm gonna go get a seat, get some popcorn and I'll come talk to you when you've made it past the first round. Good luck!" He ran out of the room towards the concession stand, Pikachu jumping back on to his shoulder process.

May giggled. "Deep down, he'll never change." she walked out of the room to join the other coordinators.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Sinnoh's only Open Contest, right here in Jubilife City!"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Like I said, in the next chapter we'll be introduced to May's new rival, whose name is Violet, so look forward to that. In fact, if you know Violet from Sound Horizon, she'll be similar to her. So don't think Incredibles. If you don't know her, to get a look at her, just Google her. Simple enough, right?**

**Anyway, I'm still trying to get the hang of capturing Ash's teenage, but not quite mature, attitude, as well as May's slightly more mature, teenage attitude.**

**Anyway, that's it, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Also if you want to see some gameplay by me go to my YouTube Channel, SilverGaming100. Thanks, everyone!**

**Review if you wish, give me some feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Jubilife Contest Opening

**Chapter 3: The Jubilife Contest Opening**

**A/N: Not much shippy moments here. Just the contest. Don't be mad when I don't describe Ash yelling over the crowd or guys whistling at May, just saying. I'm not like that.**

**Also, if this looks long, its not, its just space between dialogue, etc.**

**Anyway, as I promised, Violet will be in this episode, and here is her age and height:**

**Violet: 15 / 5'5"**

* * *

><p>As May walked into the room where the coordinators stayed waiting for their turn to perform, she sat down on one of the cushioned benches and watched the first coordinator and his Kadabra. As she watched, her mind was almost blank other than her rather amusing thought of Ash munching loudly on popcorn as he watched the Contest.<p>

"May! You made it!"

May looked over to where she heard the voice, and she saw a moderately tall blonde with long hair, purple eyes and her elegant purple dress matching her eyes. She wore black heels as well. Her figure, overall similar to May's, was also shaped hour-glass-like and it was very prominent in her dress.

"Violet! Nice to see you!" She got up and hugged with her best friend and rival from Sinnoh.

"So, you came to win?" Violet asked.

"Of course, what else?"

"That's good, I could use a challenge for once." Violet smirked.

"Only a challenge? Come on, you know me better than that. I'll give you more than a challenge." May grinned.

"Of course." Violet grinned back. After there was silence for a brief moment as they heard Marian exclaim something on screen.

"... So." Violet whispered. "I heard you talking with a BOY in the makeup room. Who is he, exactly?" She smirked.

May blushed and gasped. "You heard? He's uh…" She paused.

"Yes?"

"Well, I traveled with him in Hoenn and Kanto for a long while, he's a good friend." She blushed and tapped her fingertips.

"So, you're pretty close then?" Violet was still smirking.

May looked around. "I, guess…"

"So, do you like him?" She inquired, smirking.

She gasped and her face turned bright red. "No, of course not! I mean… why would I be talking to him if I did…?" May tried to come up with a quick excuse.

Violet's face lit up. "So, you do! You like him! Oh, this is exciting! Is he gonna come here?"

May paused for a second. "Well, he'll probably come after my performance."

She smiled. "Of course."

"Violet? You're up." A man with a clipboard spoke out to the room.

"I'll see you after my performance. Can't wait to meet your, um, friend that's a boy." She smirked.

May's blush was still present on her face, somewhat glad her friend was finally gone. 'Sometimes, girlfriends can be a pain.'

* * *

><p>"Please welcome our next coordinator, Violet!" Marian shouted.<p>

The blonde entered the stage holding a pokeball in a ball capsule, with a snowflake seal.

"OK Froslass, put on a show!" She exclaimed, throwing her pokeball, revealing her Ice-Ghost Pokemon in a flurry of snowflakes.

"Fros, Froslass!" It cried as it came out.

"First, combine Ominous Wind and Blizzard!"

Froslass spread the two widespread moves across the entire stadium, showing off the mysteriosity of its unique typing, Ice and Ghost.

"Wow! Froslass does a great job of showing off its typing! Incredible!" Marian noted.

"Now, Thunderbolt!"

It let loose a bolt of electricity from its body, enveloping it and showing off its power and versatility.

"Wow! Who knew Froslass could use Thunderbolt! Amazing! It looks just dazzling!"

"Now, finish up by combining Shadow Ball and Blizzard!" Violet commanded.

Froslass launched a Shadow Ball towards the sky, this time not obstructed by a roof, followed by a powerful Blizzard. The Blizzard circled the Shadow Ball and once it was high enough it exploded, creating beautiful snowflake-type particles to launch themselves all over the stadium through a moderate explosion.

She and Froslass bowed simultaneously, and left, but not without a roar of applause from everyone present.

"A beautiful combination of the magnificence of Ice-types and the ghostly essence of Froslass." Mr. Contesta stated.

"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo said excitedly.

"I can just see by their performance how well Froslass has been raised and how much they've been training. They did just wonderfully!" Nurse Joy smiled.

May was watching in moderate astonishment. "I still can't believe it can use Thunderbolt… She did amazing as always." May smiled.

Ash was also watching, shocked. "Wow, she did really well, May has some tough competition here."

"May? You're next." The man with the clipboard spoke.

She took a deep breath, then giving a serious look to nobody in particular. She was ready. She wasn't going to mess up.

As she walked down the hall to the stage she passed Violet, who gave each other high fives as they passed.

"Next up, May! You're on!" Marian shouted.

"OK Shinx! Take the stage!" May shouted as she threw her pokeball, which was set to release Shinx with lightning bolt effects.

"Shinx!" It cried as it was released.

"Spark!"

It started to glow a glimmery electric blue and released its electricity throughout the entire stadium, showing off it and its trainers creativity with Spark.

"Jump, and use Volt Switch!"

It jumped high and then launched the ball of electricity at the ground, giving off a slight electric pulse and it was floored, but Shinx was still airborne.

"Ice Fang!"

Shinx began to descend and its teeth glowed a bright white and it went straight for the Volt Switch, and then bit it with the Ice Fang, thereby surrounding itself with an icy-electric aura.

The crowd roared in applause as Marian made her remarks. May curtsied and left the stage with Shinx.

"Amazing! That Ice Fang bit that Volt Switch and created a dazzling icy-electric aura around Shinx! That was a new one on me!" Marian shouted.

"A great show of the Pokemon's skills and the Coordinator's creativity. Shinx's performance really showed the ideal way to show off Shinx's characteristics." Mr. Contesta complimented.

"Just remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.

"Another wonderful performance. Shinx has definitely been raised well, and the way Shinx used those moves was simply amazing." Nurse Joy smiled.

The cheering ceased.

Ash finished up his popcorn and left the stands, heading towards the back room.

* * *

><p>As May entered the back room, she was greeted by her best friend.<p>

"May, you did great! That was a new trick!" Violet sounded impressed.

"Yeah, well you impressed me too with that Thunderbolt. I had no idea Froslass could do what you did." May also sounded impressed.

"Thanks." She paused and began to smirk. "So where's-"

"Stop." May cleared her throat. She patted her wrist as if she had a watch on. "3, 2, 1-"

She was cut off by the opening of the back room door. Entering was a teenage boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder, dressed in jeans and a blue jacket. He looked around and spotted May standing with Violet, and he headed in their direction.

Violet began to whisper. "So that's him?" She looked at him, impressed with the boy's physique.

"Yeah. That's him alright." May whispered back, as she anticipated her praising from him.

As he arrived, he smiled at May. "May, I was really impressed. You and your Shinx performed better than I would've thought for one of your newer Pokemon. You did awesome." Ash praised. "Not to mention you've gotten a lot better overall since I saw you perform last."

May smiled. "Thanks, as always Ash."

Ash looked over at the blonde and smiled. "Violet, right? You and your Froslass also did really well."

Violet giggled. "Thank you."

May walked over to Ash and faced Violet. "Violet, this is Ash, and Pikachu. Ash, Violet has been my best friend ever since I met her in my very first contest here.

"That's really cool, but how come you never told me about her?" Ash inquired.

"Well, I was hoping she'd be here, and she was." May informed him.

"Well Ash, its very nice to meet you." Violet smiled and held out her hand.

Ash smiled back and shook her hand. "Likewise."

Violet saw the mouse perched on Ash's shoulder. "Aw, come here Pikachu." She held out her arm.

"Pika?" It walked over to her arm from Ash's shoulder and made its way around her neck and placed itself on her shoulder. Violet rubbed under its chin, getting a soft 'chaaa….' from it. Violet smiled at Pikachu's overly friendly attitude.

"I can tell you've raised a great Pikachu here, Ash. Kind, strong, and cute!" Violet giggled.

"Well, thanks Violet. I've been raising and travelling with Pikachu for as long as I can remember." Ash smiled.

"I can tell." Violet remarked as she moved to scratching its head. Pikachu nuzzled his cheek against the blonde's, making her giggle.

May smiled as her two best friends had their moment of friendly interaction.

Ash watched Violet massage Pikachu. "Pikachu seems to really like you, Violet."

Violet smiled. "Does he? I wouldn't be surprised if he likes a lot of people he meets. Pikachu seems really friendly."

Ash chuckled. "Naturally."

"OK, folks, the wait it over! The judges have figured out who will be advancing to the battle rounds!" Marian announced.

"That was fast." May thought aloud.

"And here they are!"

Everyone turned to face the screen. A drum roll played, and eight faces appeared on screen.

May and Violet both gasped. "We made it!" They yelled in sync. Ash smiled.

"Here's the bracket!" Marian yelled. May appeared in the top right and Violet in the bottom left.

"Well I expect to see you two in the final round." Ash told the pair. "But while you get there, I'm gonna go refill my popcorn. Good luck you two!" He ran out of the room.

May and Violet smiled at each other and then back at the door. "He's one of a kind, isn't he May?"

May grinned. "He sure is."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I figured I had to end on that note, so this one's a little short. I hope you guys like Violet, she'll be brought back up at some point after the contest too, obviously!**

**Anyway, you wanna see something funny? Watch me play Five Nights at Freddy's on my YouTube Channel. I panic so much, it's kind of ridiculous. You can go there, the channel's called SilverGaming100. Thanks again!**

**Please leave feedback, reviews, etc.!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Jubilife Contest Finale

**Chapter 4: The Jubilife Contest Finale**

**A/N: SNOW DAY!**

**I'm in a good mood, so I decided to finish up and release Chapter 4 early! Thank you to all of you who have reviewed/followed/favorited the story. It's only been three chapters and views have skyrocketed. Thank you again. Every view, follow and favorite matters. Reviews do matter also. They help me become a better writer.**

**Just to let you know, I'm nowhere close to done at all. I think we're looking at around 40 Chapters, at least. My goal was to have this story done by the end of the school year, so hopefully I can get there! I doubt it somewhat, but I KNOW it'll be done before the beginning of next school year.**

**Anyway, I'm gonna finish the Contest here. So I hope you guys enjoy! It's a long one.**

* * *

><p>As May and Violet sat in the back room, watching as the first battle ensued, little words passed between them. They were focused on their possible opponents, studying them. Of course, they had to make it through 2 other battles before they could face each other.<p>

The 5-minute time limit ended with the female coordinator having more points than the male.

May stood up from the bench her and Violet were sitting on. "Well, guess I'm next." May stated.

Violet stood up too. "OK! Good luck girl!" The two high fived, smiling, then May walked down the hallway onto the stage.

"Up next, we have…!" Marian started, then she pointed to May. "May on my left!" Then she pointed the other direction. "And Joseph on my right!"

She stood on the side of the field across from the judges. "Five minutes on the clock… And, begin!" The clock changed to 4:59.

"Alright Glaceon, on stage!" May yelled, throwing her Eeveelutions pokeball in the air. The seal used allowed Glaceon to appear within a flurry of snowflakes. She looked amazing, almost mystical as she entered the field.

"Raichu, I choose you!" The adolescent man on the other side of the field yelled. The evolved form of Pikachu entered the field in a large mass of small lightning bolts. Both obviously skilled Pokemon landed gracefully on the battlefield.

"We'll start off! Glaceon, Ice Beam!" May yelled, trying to get an idea of her opponent's reaction by attacking at a range.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!"

The two attacks, equal in power, collided and produced a strong explosion in the middle of the field, costing both coordinators the same amount of points.

"Now Raichu, Quick Attack!" Joseph yelled, and Raichu quickly obeyed, speeding quickly at the ice-type. May lost a small amount of points for Raichu's flashy move.

"Jump, quickly!" May reacted. Glaceon did, using all four of its legs it jumped too high for Raichu to hit it. Joseph lost some points, and was behind May in points.

"Now, Water Pulse!"

Glaceon formed a sphere of compressed water at her mouth. She then launched it mid-air at Raichu, scoring a direct hit. May was now ahead of her opponent by a considerable amount.

"Raichu, use Focus Punch!" The male coordinator commanded.

The large mouse stood up, the launched itself at Glaceon in his attempt at the super effective move.

"Glaceon, get in close and counter with Ice Fang!" May ordered.

Glaceon ran in towards her opponent and when she was close enough, her fangs lit up a brilliant light blue and it bit onto Raichu's torso while expertly avoiding the potentially devastating Focus Punch. Raichu yelled out in pain but endured it rather well.

Glaceon finished her attack and gracefully leaped backwards so she was just in front of her trainer. Raichu retreated to its trainer as well.

'OK, if this Raichu is anything like Ash's Pikachu, then I think I know a combo they could try. He'll probably try to pull it off here, and let's hope he does...'

"Raichu, use Quick Attack into Iron Tail! Show off your electricity!" The male coordinator yelled.

May froze for a moment keeping a straight face; only to be replaced by an all too familiar grin; except it wasn't hers. It was Ash's grin she was replicating when his opponent did exactly what he wanted him to. May's grin appeared for the same reason it appeared on Ash.

Although it was only for a split second, the grin seemed to last forever to May. As soon as the male coordinator called out the exact combination she'd hoped for, she had a simple, yet effective counter.

"Blizzard! Slow it down!"

Glaceon opened its mouth to release a beautiful and effective Blizzard, slowing Raichu down significantly and almost stopping it completely; the mouse Pokemon struggled to fight the freezing wind and snow.

"Wow! That Blizzard attack is absolutely beautiful! It incredibly shows off Glaceon's power and beauty!" Marian remarked.

"Quick, Thunder!"

Raichu stored up a large amount of electricity and tried releasing it to get some damage on to the Eeveelution.

"Stop, and dodge to the right!"

Glaceon obeyed, dodging Thunder narrowly. Glancing up at the clock, it showed 2:30. May was just about ready to end this.

"Use Ice Beam, quickly!"

Glaceon precisely launched the reliable ice attack at the Mouse Pokemon, scoring another direct hit. Raichu tried to endure the pain but it proved to be too much. It collapsed on the ground.

The judges gave 3 X's to the battle, signaling its end and that May had emerged victorious.

May bent down and gave Glaceon a quick scratch on her head. "Nice work, Glaceon."

* * *

><p>The rest of the Contest up to the final round went smoothly for the rivals. Both May and Violet passed the first and second rounds with no problems at all. They were even more motivated to get to the final round together specifically because of their picks for the battle round.<p>

Naturally, Ash didn't want to waste May's time in between battles, so he stayed in his seat, watching intently.

"Alright Contest fans, it's the final round of the Jubilife Contest!" Marian announced. "On my left, May! On my right, Violet! Five minutes on the clock, and…. begin!"

The lights went dark.

* * *

><p><em>Earlier that night…<em>

"How long does it take to make an insulated, attack-proof net, you idiots!"

"Longer than you think…"

"Yea, why would you know anyting about dat? Not like you're doin anyting…"

"Sure I am! I'm, uh… Never mind! Why would I do any work?! That kind of work puts my hair in jeopardy! That is not allowed!

"You would have more of an excuse if you were actually in this contest…"

"Except she'd probably screw up real bad, like worse den she has before…"

"You're right. If she thought she could've won at this contest than we might've had to put her in front of the game again…"

"Not that again! That scarred me for life, don't talk to me about it!" The woman shouted.

The man and the Meowth smirked at each other, knowing what made her annoyed. Since recently James and Meowth have tried playing video games and found them to be rather fun, especially horror games. They were fun compared to the times they've experienced from Giovanni. Although Jessie thought differently. They quietly stopped what they were doing to tease a cowardly Jessie.

"Check the cameras, Jessie…" James said, using a playful, ghostly tone.

"Don't forget about Pirate Cove…" Meowth added.

"NO! STOP! STOP!" Jessie was losing her mind, slowly.

"Then we'll bring out the second one if you don't help us." James smirked.

"No! Don't do that! What can I do to help?!" Jessie asked desperately.

* * *

><p>"What's going on?!"<p>

The lights came back on, but only in a certain place over the stage.

"Prepare for trouble, this Contest blows."

"Make it double, or we'll smack your nose."

#AbruptStop

"Really, James? That was the best you could come up with?"

"Yes. It was. After all these years I'm starting to run out of good rhymes!"

"Meowth, dat's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

May could hear footsteps approaching her, and as she turned she found Ash had appeared next to her.

"Team Rocket! Give it up already!" Ash yelled. "May, Violet, get behind me!"

Violet quickly ran over to the other side of the battle field where Ash and May were located.

"Why are so concerned Ash? They've never been a real problem before." May asked, confused.

"Trust me."

James smirked, knowing what he was talking about; one of his own Pokemon. "Malamar, you know what to do!"

The Dark/Psychic type Pokemon was released from the Pokeball. The audience gasped, unmoving.

"Ash, I don't like the looks of this. Help me out here." May told him, worried about everyone's safety.

"Gourgeist, get out here!" Jessie yelled.

Ash tossed his Kalos pokedex over to her and she caught it. Before she could say anything about it, it stretched out and showed a picture of Malamar.

'It wields the most compelling hypnotic powers of any Pokémon, and it forces others to do whatever it wants.' The pokedex stated.

"Hypnotize people? Why do they have a Pokemon like that?" Violet asked, using a loud, desperate tone.

"Good question." May looked up and brought out a pokeball. "Violet, let's get 'em." She suggested.

Ash held both of his arms out, blocking the girls. "No. Allow me." Ash brought out two of his own pokeballs. "Sit this one out, Pikachu." The mouse nodded in understanding, hopping up to May's shoulder.

"Staraptor, Greninja, I choose you!"

The Predator and Ninja Pokemon appeared before their trainer.

"Staraptor!"

"Greninja!"

"Alright guys, ready to battle?" Ash grinned his enthusiastic, determined grin. His two Pokemon nodded in the affirmative.

"Go Malamar!" James pointed at the group.

"Quick guys, Taunt!" Ash yelled.

Staraptor and Greninja both made fun of their opponents, causing the two evil Pokemon to become overpoweringly angry at the Predator and Ninja Pokemon, enough so for Malamar to disobey James completely in attempting to hypnotize the group.

"No! Malamar, don't fall for it again!" James yelled.

May and Violet gasped in realization. "That's was really smart! Taunt will prevent that Pokemon from using moves that don't cause damage!" Violet complimented.

"Yeah, that was really good, Ash." May said, clearly impressed. "How long did it take you to come up with that one?"

"Not too long." Ash smirked. "They don't actually even know the move Taunt. But it seems to work anyways."

"Huh. Works for me." May admitted, grinning.

"Good." Ash grinned back, then turned back to the battle. "Now for the real battle. Staraptor, Aerial Ace! Greninja, Night Slash!"

Staraptor reared back, then launching itself towards Gourgeist with incredible speed. Aerial Ace's signature white streaks of light that partially surrounded Staraptor as it hit the Grass/Ghost Pokemon with the powerful flying type move. Gourgeist fell to the ground, fainted.

Greninja took off, running at full speed towards Malamar. It took virtually no time at all for the Ninja Pokemon to reach its opponent, then it slashed right through it, its webbed hand being accompanied by a dark aura. Night Slash left Malamar down on the ground, fainted.

"Now Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The yellow mouse immediately launched itself from its resting place on May's shoulder, shooting a powerful dose of its stored electricity at Team Rocket it a streamline manner. The powerful electric-type move hit the evil team dead on.

* * *

><p>As they flew out of sight, the trio had a conversation.<p>

"Would it really have been a worse idea for me to enter the contest?" Jessie asked, obviously angry.

"Well, I guess she does have a point." James said.

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, but Jessie hasn't been in a Contest since da Sinnoh Grand Festival. I don't tink she would've gotten past the first round." Meowth stated matter-of-factly.

James thought about it. "You also have a point."

"What?! I definitely would've gotten past the first round! What, do you guys not believe in me?"

"Did we ever believe in you?" Meowth asked.

"Good point." James said.

"We're blasting off again!" The trio yelled, being echoed by Wobbuffet.

* * *

><p>The audience cheered for Ash as all the lights were brought back on. As people were able to see again, whispers started going around the arena.<p>

"Hey, isn't that Ash Ketchum, the Kalos Conference Champion?" One girl whispered.

"Didn't he battle the famous movie star and Kalos Champion Diantha?" Another girl whispered.

"Yeah, but he lost, although not by much. He'll probably ask for a rematch soon, seeing what he just did." A boy noted.

Violet listened intently. "Hang on. Ash, did they just say you won the Kalos League?" She asked for confirmation.

Ash turned to her and nodded. "You got it." Pikachu happily jumped back on to Ash's shoulder.

"Pika-chu!" Ash gave his partner a light scratch under the chin. He got a light "chaaaa…." from him.

Ash turned back to his Pokemon. "Thanks guys. Return." Ash recalled his Staraptor and Greninja.

"Well that explains why you're such a great battler." Violet plainly stated, smiling.

"It's true. I haven't seen you battle in a while, Ash. I'm really impressed. I can see why you finally won a League." May grinned.

Ash's face turned a slight pink. "Thanks. I guess that's what you get when you train all the time." He scratched the back of his head.

Marian sweatdropped. "Well, thank you for the assistance, Ash." She said innocently into the microphone.

Ash lightly grabbed the brim of his hat, smiling. "Not a problem. Sorry for the interruption. Please, continue."

He ran out of the stage through the passageway leading to the coordinator's room. He circled around and re-entered the stands. Almost everyone in the stands looked up at him as he entered. He winced for a moment, along with Pikachu, who was situated on his shoulder; so he decided to remain at the top, giving himself a rather good view.

"Sorry for the interruption folks! Now, back to the final round! May on my left! Violet on my right! Five minutes on the clock, and…. begin!"

"Glaceon, take the stage!"

"Espeon, on stage!"

The two Eeveelutions stood facing each other, knowing by instinct that the two were equal in power.

"I'll make the first move. Glaceon, Ice Beam!" May instructed.

"Use Extrasensory!" Violet countered.

The two moves collided in the middle of the field, causing an explosion that sent the two Eeveelutions back to their respective sides.

May grinned her confident grin. "Hm. This should be a fun battle."

Violet grinned back. "You're right about that. Psychic!" She ordered.

Espeon's eyes lit up a light blue and it slowly lifted Glaceon into the air.

"Blizzard!"

Glaceon opened her mouth and the freezing, sparkling winds almost froze Espeon in its place.

"Dodge, then smash it into the ground!" Violet yelled.

Espeon swiftly moved out of the Blizzard's path, then telepathically smashed the Ice-type into the battlefield.

"Glaceon!" May yelled in horror.

"Now, finish up with Shadow Ball!" Violet yelled. A purple sphere of ghostly energy formed at Espeon's mouth, and it shot it at Glaceon.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!"

Glaceon quickly took off out of its laying position and out of the line of fire of the Shadow Ball.

"Now, use your own Shadow Ball!" May commanded.

Glaceon quickly formed the same sphere of energy and shot it at Espeon, this time it hitting its mark.

"Espeon!"

Ash nodded from his standing point. 'You're on the right track, May. Speed is going to be the way to win the battle. Espeon's fast, but moves like Quick Attack will let you be faster. You've got to use speed to confuse it. Psychic requires the user to lock on to a Pokemon's essence & being, but if it loses track, Psychic becomes useless.'

May could've sworn she heard a voice in her head. She didn't think she'd ever hear a voice like this in her head, let alone a masculine one. 'Did it say I was on the right track? To use speed? Well, it seems to be right, so I'll keep it up.'

She glanced at the clock. '2 minutes. It looks like we're about tied for points. I'll have to do this fast.'

"Espeon, can you continue?" Violet inquired to her Pokemon. It stood up and took on a confident pose. "Great! Use Psychic!"

"Use Quick Attack to keep it from locking on to you!"

The Ice-type took off, circling Espeon with amazing speed.

"Espe… Espe…?" The pink Psychic-type was losing track of its opponent.

"Now, Ice Beam, again!"

Glaceon stopped running and launched its Ice Beam at Espeon.

"Dodge, and use Extrasensory!"

Espeon moved out of the way and used its psychic abilities to launch a stream of psychic energy at Glaceon.

"Dodge, then use Blizzard followed by Shadow Ball!" May ordered.

Glaceon used Quick Attack to move out the way, then let loose a freezing wind towards Espeon, then combining a Shadow Ball into it. The Shadow Ball perfectly led the freezing winds as they surrounded the sphere.

"Beautiful! That combination is just dazzling!" Marian noted.

"Espeon! No!" Violet yelled in desperation.

The Psychic-type was frozen in place, unable to move. The combination hit its mark, knocking Espeon to the ground.

"Can you get up? Come on! You can do it!" Violet encouraged.

"Time's up! And the winner of the Jubilife Contest is… May, of Petalburg City!" Marian announced.

May gasped excitedly. "Glaceon, you were just great!" May knelt down and happily embraced her Eeveelution. She happily purred in return.

* * *

><p>"We now present our winner, May, with the Jubilife Ribbon! Congratulations, May!" Marian smiled and said into her microphone.<p>

Everyone, including the Kalos League Champion with his partner, and May's most recent opponent stood by her podium, clapping as Mr. Contesta presented May with the Jubilife Ribbon. May gratefully accepted the ribbon with a huge smile present on her face.

"Alright! I won the Jubilife Ribbon!" May posed, holding the ribbon in front of her.

The cheering increased in volume. May held her pose for a moment before showing it to her Shinx and Glaceon. Ash and Violet looked at each other and smiled.

Ash watched her, his eyes shining. _'I feel so proud of her… But… That's not all I feel... I can't identify this other feeling, but it's strong… It's like, I love seeing her smile, and… Well, I don't really know. I'll leave it alone for now.'_

* * *

><p>After Ash escaped the mob of people asking him questions and for his autograph, he, May and Violet were standing outside the Contest Hall, all dressed normally. Violet wore a sleeveless purple blouse, along with khaki shorts.<p>

"So, I guess this is goodbye for now." May said.

"I guess so." Violet confirmed. "I'm going to Floaroma Town, where the next Contest is, for MY fifth ribbon. Where are you guys headed to?" She asked.

"Well, if May wants to, we're headed to Iron Island." Ash explained.

May looked up at him and grinned, silently confirming that she would come with him.

"Iron Island? You know, if you're gonna be there for a while, I could probably join you guys there." Violet raised an eyebrow.

"Could you?" May asked, clasping her hands together.

Violet grinned. "If I win the Floaroma Contest, the Grand Festival still won't be for another month, if not more. So, yeah, I probably could."

"Great!" May exclaimed.

The blonde smiled. "So, I guess I'll see you guys later."

May and Violet embraced each other. "See you, Violet."

"See you soon, May."

"Good luck at the Floroma Contest!" May added.

"Thanks. I'll win for sure!"

As they separated Violet looked over to Ash, who grinned.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu jumped over to Violet's shoulder. She scratched under his chin lightly. "Bye Pikachu." It jumped back to its normal place on Ash's shoulder.

Violet then turned to Ash. He held out his hand. "Good luck in Floroma."

She shook his hand, but, to Ash's surprise, pulled him in for a hug. He blushed for a split second before hugging back.

"Thanks for helping us back there." she said in his ear.

"No problem. It was my pleasure." he responded.

May watched the scene with a slight twinge of jealousy, but then let it slide.

They broke the hug and Violet waved to them. "Bye, you two!"

Ash and May waved back. "Bye, Violet!" they responded in unison.

Violet started on the road heading north, towards the Contest in Floaroma Town. Ash and May waved as she walked out of their line of sight.

After Violet left, Ash and May grinned at each other. "So. Should we head back to the Center for the night?" Ash proposed.

May nodded. "Of course. Let's go." she said as they turned around and started to walk towards the Pokemon Center.

"So, you better get training for that Grand Festival of yours." Ash said to her.

May smiled lightheartedly. "You're right, but I got some time."

"True."

Although right before the pair arrived at the Pokemon Center they could see a figure that stood unmoving at the door of the building. It was clearly a boy, and he was rather short.

But as they got closer, and they could see better, the pair and Pikachu learned they should've entered through the back door.

With a flick of his emerald hair and a smirk on his face, he said, "Welcome back, Ketchum. But I think its time I got my May back."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Catch the Five Nights reference? You should have.**

**I stated last Chapter that I wasn't very good at writing Contests, so I hope I at least made a little sense. I'm used to writing normal battles, so I'm a little skeptical that the Contest Battles, might've been a little more like normal battles rather than Contest battles. Let me know if I did OK in the reviews. There's still gonna be the Grand Festival, so if you guys have ideas for appeals, contest battles, or even OC Coordinators, let me know! There's a chance I'll feature them in the Grand Festival.**

**Anyways, Thanks as always for reading, next chapter will be up as he soon as possible. The battle that we all know will happen will take place next time! Stay tuned.**

**If you want, check out my YouTube Channel, SilverGaming100, where you can see me Nuzlocke, Play Sonic, Fail at Five Nights and other games.**

**Review, if you wish. Thanks again.**


	5. Chapter 5: Ash VS Drew

**Chapter 5: Ash vs. Drew**

**A/N: I really like the way Violet turned out actually, and I hope you guys did too.**

**I appreciate the honestly surprising amount of follows and favorites I've gotten on this story so far. You guys are awesome! It really means a lot that you're interested in my work. Some of the F/F's I've gotten have REALLY surprised me!**

**Anyways, I said on my profile that Drew's a douche, and I intend to make him such. But I feel like he needed to be here for some competition for May. Like all the other characters, here's his age and height.**

**Drew - 15 / 5'4"**

* * *

><p>"LaRousse. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're here too." Ash said flatly.<p>

May huddled up to Ash's front, hiding her face in his chest. Ash was surprised at her actions but didn't have time to think about it. "What'd you do to May to make her act like this?" He yelled.

"Nothing. She can probably give you more information than I can." Drew stated.

May lifted her head from Ash's chest and looked up at him, almost to the point of tearing up. She leaned in to Ash's ear to explain everything.

"See, back in Johto after the Grand Festival, Drew tried to ask me out. I refused, because I didn't and still don't like him in that way." She paused, looking down to the ground. Ash raised an eyebrow. "After that, he got really mad, ranting about he was 'the greatest coordinator in history' and how 'I couldn't be with a better man'. He thought that just because he was rich and he took sweet talking classes online that he could woo me."

She turned and glared daggers at Drew, as he stood there nonchalantly. "Then, in Sunnyshore City, he confessed that he apparently loved me and that he has no bad intentions. But, when I refused again, he got extremely angry, saying that he was 'sure I would come around' and something about killing someone, but I wasn't sure who it was. When he beat me at the Sunnyshore Contest, he approached me afterwards and made fun of me, saying that 'I'm a terrible coordinator' and that 'I don't even deserve to love a coordinator as amazing as him'."

After May finished, Ash glared his angriest glare at Drew. "Why would you do that? She didn't like you in that way, give it a rest!"

"Hm, you say that, but that may change, now that you're here." Drew stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash yelled, May still huddled up against him.

"Well, how about this. I propose a battle. Three on Three. I'll show May who exactly the better man is." Drew stated.

"It doesn't matter who wins! I won't ever like you that way! Especially not after what you did to me!" May yelled at him.

Drew shrugged. "No matter, let's battle anyway."

Ash grinned confidently. "Sure thing Drew. But you may regret that decision."

Drew smirked. "We'll see."

* * *

><p>"Fine. I'll go first. Pikachu, get in there!" Ash told his partner.<p>

"Pika!" It cried out as it entered the battlefield outside the Pokemon Center, glaring at Drew. Electricity sparked from its red cheeks as it prepared for battle.

"Absol, go!" The disaster Pokemon appeared on the field. looking as serious as ever.

Ash wasn't going to wait. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Use Quick Attack too, Absol!" Drew commanded. Drew knew that Pikachu couldn't do much if they collided; Absol was much larger than Pikachu.

As Pikachu raced towards its opponent it knew what its trainer was thinking; dodge at the last moment. As the collision began to seem inevitable, Pikachu jumped off course, avoiding the collision.

"What?"

"Thunderbolt!" Ash smirked.

Pikachu jumped as Absol slid to a halt, then launching its signature move towards its opponent. As Absol was too busy trying to stop, the Thunderbolt hit its mark with a direct hit.

"Stand strong, Absol! Razor Wind!"

Absol retreated back to its trainer's side, then its horn glowed white, and it launched the thin blade of wind at Pikachu.

"Dodge, then Thunderbolt, again!" Ash told his partner.

'_Thunderbolt again, what a stupid move.'_ Drew thought with a smirk.

"Counter with Dark Pulse!" Drew commanded.

The two moves were at a standstill with each other, until the Dark Pulse suddenly overpowered the Thunderbolt, but Pikachu was nowhere to be found. With nothing blocking it, the Dark Pulse was headed straight for Ash.

Ash ducked and narrowly avoided being hit by the move. "Now Pikachu! Electro Ball!"

Pikachu, who was currently high in the air, created a sphere of powerful electricity at the tip of its tail. He spun around a couple of times to increase the force of the launch, then shot the sphere at Absol.

The Disaster Pokemon, having nowhere to go, was hit by the attack. He yelled out in pain, trying to withstand the power.

"And just when you thought I was done!" Ash yelled in a mocking tone. "Iron Tail!"

Pikachu launched himself into the air again, increased the attacks power by doing several midair flips, then crashed into Absol with its tail. After the dust cleared, Absol was laying on the ground, fainted.

Drew glared at the field, then at Ash, who had a confident smirk present on his face, one that Drew despised beyond words. He returned Absol to its ball hesitantly, not saying anything.

"Flygon, let's go!"

The Mirage Pokemon appeared on the battlefield. It gracefully landed, its wings giving off a strange feel.

"Pikachu, take a break. You did great, buddy." Ash knelt down to pet his best friend.

"Now Sceptile, I choose you!"

The tall gecko Pokemon materialized on the battlefield, looking as confident and arrogant as ever.

Drew smirked. "A grass type? Bad choice, Ketchum."

"Really? And how would you know?" Ash shot back, still retaining his confident smirk.

"I'll show you. Flygon, Aerial Ace!" Drew commanded.

"Dodge, then Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile easily moved out the way of Flygon's path, then jumped into the air, with the leaves on its two arms glowing green and becoming sharp blades of grass. It crossed its arms, then when it was close enough, formed an X-formation with them, hitting Flygon dead on with Leaf Blade.

"Now, let's show 'em why you're battling Flygon! Dragon Pulse!" Ash grinned.

Sceptile quickly formed a sphere of blue and red energy, symbolizing Dragon, in between its hands, then thrust them forward, and the blue and red energy created a straight line of the power towards Flygon.

"No! Flygon, dodge quickly!" Drew shouted in desperation.

But it was hopeless. The energy crashed into Flygon with full force, knocking it to the ground from the air and rendering it unable to battle.

"Just two moves? But how? Is there something I don't know…?" Drew inquired himself.

He grabbed his most recent pokeball from his belt. "Ampharos, go!" He shouted.

"Sceptile return. You did great." Ash recalled his grass-type as the Electric-type emerged on the field.

"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash threw his pokeball, and it opened to reveal the orange, winged lizard Pokemon.

May smiled, knowing that this battle was over. There was only one thing different about Charizard. On its necklace that carried its Mega Stone, instead of an orange stone, it was black…

"A Charizard! Ha! Why would you do something like that? It doesn't stand a chance against my Ampharos!" Drew snorted.

"Does it? We'll see."

"Use Thunder!" Drew quickly shouted.

Ampharos shot its streamlined electric attack at Charizard, more powerful than a Thunderbolt.

"Dodge, then Flamethrower!" Ash instructed.

Charizard easily moved out of the way, then shot its beam of fire at Ampharos.

"Block it!"

Ampharos crossed its arms, took the fire attack, then swatted it away like a bug.

"See? What did I tell you?" Drew snickered.

"I heard you, playboy, but you should probably listen to what I'm about to tell _you._" Ash grinned.

"See this Drew?" He held up his left arm and pointed to his bracelet. "It's a gadget called the Mega Ring."

"See what Charizard's wearing? It's a strange contraption called the Mega Stone. Ever heard of them?" Ash smirked confidently.

Drew's face went pale. "Oh no."

"And with our powers combined, we make Mega Evolution!" Ash said the first part mockingly, then returned to serious for the words 'Mega Evolution'.

Ash touched the Key Stone embedded in this Mega Ring with two fingers. "Charizard!" Ash then held his arm high. "Mega Evolve!"

The teenager couldn't wait to see this happen. He liked this version of Charizard better.

May noticed that as Charizard began to change shape, it looked different from when he showed her Mega Evolution before.

As Charizard glowed orange, the only characteristics that really changed were its wing shape and facial area. Its wings became more divided, and it gained streams of fire coming from either side of his mouth.

Charizard finished the process, then broke out and roared its fiercest roar. This caused Drew and Ampharos, and even May to hold their ears shut.

Charizard was now black with blue wings. It also had blue streams of fire coming from its mouth.

"You see playboy, now Charizard is a Fire/Dragon type. Which means, not only is he not weak to electric type moves anymore, but he _resists_ them." Ash explained.

Drew growled in anger. "DO NOT CALL ME THAT! USE THUNDER! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MEGA EVOLUTION!" Drew screamed in anger.

"Dodge, then Dragon Claw!"

Ampharos shot the Electric attack at Charizard, who easily dodged, then flew at Ampharos with lightning-fast speed, then slashed it with Dragon Claw.

Drew growled again. "Come on Ampharos, you can't give up! Zap Cannon!"

Ash smirked, wanting to finish this. "Ready to show them what you've really got?" Ash asked. Charizard nodded.

"Blast Burn!"

Charizard built up its most intense fire, then launched it straight at Ampharos, which engulfed the Zap Cannon completely. The sheer power of the blue flame that shot towards Ampharos in another streamline was unmatched.

Ampharos stood there, frightened, and when the Blast Burn made contact, it caused a giant explosion. Afterwards, Ampharos was out cold, burns all over its body.

"Oops. Sorry about that, playboy. Didn't mean to knock out your Ampharos there." Ash tormented.

He walked up to Charizard and thanked it. Charizard returned to normal and Ash recalled it.

Despite Drew's brutal beating, he approached May and offered her a rose. May looked surprised for a second, but then became disgusted.

"May, did you see how aggressive he was in our battle? How could you travel with someone that aggressive?" Drew faked sadness.

May got up from her spot on the bench and walked over to Ash and Pikachu, and embraced the boy. "Sorry Drew, but I could tell Ash was just being protective. I kind of enjoyed seeing you get brutally beat down after what you did to me in Sunnyshore. After all, you did deserve it. So, my final answer is no." May smiled caringly up at Ash, who responded with a similar smile.

Drew growled in anger. He glared daggers at Ash, who wasn't really paying attention to him, as he was returning May's embrace. "How in any world could you choose Ketchum over me?! How could you want to be with trainer rather a coordinator?! Not to mention one who can get you whatever you want and more!" Drew yelled at May.

May held up a finger as she kept one arm wrapped around Ash. "Stop. His name isn't 'Ketchum'. It's _Ash._" May corrected.

Drew growled again.

Ash smirked. "Sorry playboy, but you just lost brutally to our resident Kalos League Champion. Come try again next year!" Ash made fun of Drew.

"Grrr, SHUT UP!" Drew yelled.

'_So that's why... He won the Kalos League.'_

"I've had enough. Bye Drew. You lost the battle you issued, brutally, and still thought you could woo me. But, you can't. You've made fun of me, tormented me, criticized me, and even thought that you could win me simply by having a battle with Ash. I don't like you that way, and I never will, either. I don't want to hear a word from you until the Grand Festival. I'm done with you. I don't even see you as a friend anymore. Nighty night, playboy." May told him.

Drew almost seemed to the point of tearing up after May's lecture. "But, May, I love you-"

"I don't care. Not. Another. Word."

"I made some mistakes, okay? Forgive me, I beg of you…" Drew tried and failed as Ash and May walked into the Pokemon Center.

'_I AM GOING TO KILL KETCHUM.'_ Drew thought as he angrily watched as his enemy and his supposed loved one walked into the Center together. He was left with nothing. He waited a while and finally went into the Center and to his room.

'_I'll just follow them.' _Drew decided. '_I'll see if what May's saying is really true.'_

* * *

><p>Ash and May entered their room, all tension relieved, all stress dissipated.<p>

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah May?"

"I just wanted to thank you for backing me up back there with Drew. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what I would've done." May blushed as she said those words.

"Well, I've never been very fond of Drew anyways, so I was happy to help. There was no reason he should've treated you like that after what he did to you." Ash said, smiling.

"You're right." She stood up on her toes to plant a light kiss on his cheek. "Thank you again, Ash."

Ash blushed bright red, and even May was blushing at her actions. Ash soon regained his normal composure, and smiled wide at May.

"As I said, it was my pleasure." Ash confessed.

On the surface, she was a little surprised by Ash's reaction. She had thought that he would've been stunned for a lot longer than he was. Deep down, however, she felt amazing and was glad that he wasn't against her actions, and had, in fact, blushed. She never had done anything that felt so… right.

After the nightly routines for the pair was finished, including PIkachu, the three got into the beds.

"Night, May."

"Goodnight, Ash."

Ash blushed as he recalled what had just happened. He was sure that he had never felt anything in his life that felt so… right.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, I made it! We finally arrived at the major shipping stepping stone, the kiss on the cheek! Wow, that lecture took more thought than I expected.**

**Also, if I'm being honest, I'm gonna try to avoid Ash's normally portrayed personality around girls as being clumsy, dumb, and staring all the time. He's gonna be shown much more confident, and less clumsy around girls. Being seductive with Ash isn't going to work that well.**

**Anyways, so the group is waking up and heading for Iron Island next time! There, Ash can finally begin his Aura Guardian training! What will happen on the road to Canalave? Stay tuned.**

**If you want, you can watch me play a Pokemon Sacred Gold Nuzlocke, Sonic Adventure DX, as well as Five Nights at Freddy's and other games over on my YouTube Channel, known NOW as SilverTV. I plan on straying away from ONLY gaming.**

**Thanks, as always, for reading! Review if you wish, and I'll see you guys next time.**


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed

**Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed**

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 6! It's Friday! So I decided to upload again today.**

**Anyways, Ash and May are headed for Canalave, finally! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>May awoke to the sound of light snoring and sunlight entering the room, coming in through the blinds. She rubbed her eyes and looked over and saw Ash, asleep on the bed, in a rather unusual position. The covers only covered about half of him, and his arm was hanging off the edge of the bed.<p>

May giggled. '_Typical Ash. He's pretty cute when he's asleep.'_ She mentally decided. She got up out of bed and did her usual morning routine; showering, brushing her teeth, getting dressed, etc.

By the time May emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, Ash was waking up. He stretched and rubbed his eyes.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Nice to see you didn't sleep all day." May said teasingly.

"I was thinking about it, but I guess I'll get up." Ash smiled at her as he continued to rub his eyes.

May happily smiled back, while realizing something. "Ash, while you get ready I'm gonna go call my parents."

"Sure May." Ash simply replied, still too tired to say anything more. He passed by her and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

May walked out of the room and into the lobby and went to one of the video phones stationed there. She dialed her home's number and soon enough her mother's face appeared on the screen.

"May! Good to see you!" Caroline smiled.

"Thanks, Mom. It's good to see you too."

"May? I'm glad you at least remember to call once in a while." A deeper, masculine voice said. Norman joined his wife in talking to May.

"I try, Dad." May said.

"With both you and Max gone, it's a lot quieter than it was before." Norman said plainly.

"I know, Dad. Has Max visited since he left?" May inquired to her parents.

"He has not, but I don't think it'll be long. He set out not too long ago; I don't imagine it'll be too long before he visits to show his new Pokemon to us." Caroline thoughtfully answered.

"That sounds like Max alright." May smiled at the thought of her brother. "So, did you hear? I won my fifth ribbon!" she excitedly exclaimed.

"No! We didn't hear that! We were so busy, we couldn't watch your Contest! Congratulations dear, that's great!" Caroline congratulated her daughter.

"That is great, May! Good work!" Norman added.

May blushed at their compliments. "Thanks." she looked away from the screen and saw that Ash was walking towards her, now fully dressed, and showered.

'_That was fast… I guess it must be true that guys can get ready faster than girls… Although he doesn't have his hair to worry about; no fair.'_ May thought. She patted the seat next to her.

"May? Is someone there with you?" Norman asked.

May smiled wide. "Yeah. You wouldn't guess who stopped by to watch the Contest."

"Dawn?"

"Solidad?"

As they guessed, they saw a figure, obviously male. They could only see up to his chest, but he was wearing blue jeans and a blue-and-white jacket. He sat down next to May; what gave away the boy's identity was the hat atop his head, red and white in color, his messy jet black hair, along with the yellow mouse Pokemon positioned on his shoulder. The boy smiled his toothy smile at the parents.

"Hi Caroline, Norman. Nice to see you again." Ash grabbed the brim of his hat in greeting.

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

"Ash!" Both shouted in unison.

He grinned. "The one and only."

While Norman stood there, stunned, Caroline recovered from her shock and greeted him. "Well, it's nice to see you again too, Ash. You sure have grown into a fine young man."

"Thanks, Caroline." Ash grinned.

Caroline smiled. She gave a quick glance to her husband, who was staring intently at Ash, most likely contemplating what could be going on between him and his daughter.

Caroline whispered something into her husband's ear. "I'm sure that you have nothing to worry about, honey. Even if something was going on, you and I both know that May couldn't have chosen anyone better." Norman nodded slightly, and his straight face was replaced by a smile.

Ash and May looked at each other, wondering what May's parents could be talking about. They both shrugged it off and watched as the two smiled at the trainers.

Norman nodded to Ash. "It's nice to see you doing well, Ash."

Ash smiled at him and nodded back. "Thank you, Norman."

"So, is Ash going with you to the Grand Festival?" Caroline asked, hiding her excitement.

"Yep! He sure is!" May said excitedly. Caroline became excited for her daughter. She knew what it was like to like a boy; what it felt like, what the symptoms were, and she knew almost right off the bat that her daughter liked Ash. With Ash coming with her to the Grand Festival, they get more time together, _alone_, and more of a chance to become an item.

"That's great, May. I'm glad that you found Ash again." Caroline smiled.

"Thanks, Mom. I think we should get on our way now, though." May smiled back.

"Of course. I'll talk to you two later." Caroline said.

"Yes, call again soon, May." Norman advised.

"Sure, talk to you guys soon." Ash and May waved as she turned off the phone.

Ash stood up, and May soon followed his lead. They grabbed their bags, and headed for the door.

"Maybe we should say thank you to Nurse Joy first." May suggested.

"Yeah, and we need to return her key, so let's do it." Ash agreed. Before they went however, an idea popped into Ash's head and he leaned in to whisper something to May.

"Whatever I say, do not say anything. I promise, I'll explain afterwards." Ash told her. May blinked, but then nodded, not sure what he meant.

Ash went up to Nurse Joy and handed her the key. "Here Nurse Joy. We're heading out east towards Oreburgh. Hopefully we'll see you soon!" Ash walked back towards the door and waved.

"Bye! Good luck, and see you soon!" Nurse Joy waved back.

As Ash and May walked out, with Pikachu still on Ash's shoulder, May became confused. "Why did you tell her we were going east?"

"Simple. Knowing Drew, he'll probably try to follow us. First person he'll come to is Nurse Joy. Since she's under the impression that we're headed to Oreburgh, she'll tell Drew that and he'll head in the opposite direction as us." Ash responded knowingly.

"Man! What kinda school were you at while I wasn't traveling with you?" May asked, impressed once again.

"The Cilan and Clemont school." Ash grumbled quietly.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing!" Ash lied. "C'mon May, let's go."

They walked down the sidewalk, heading west, towards Route 218.

* * *

><p><em>'Just the two of us; just like it was supposed to be. I never had any intention of Max or Brock joining us, though I can't say it was a bad thing, but at first I had hoped that it would be just me and him. And now it is.'<em>

May found herself reaching her hand into her right pocket; something was there that she considered her lucky charm. It gave her courage, determination, and encouragement when she really needed it.

It was half a ribbon.

She slowly pulled it out of her pocket and stared at it intently. The remaining half of the ribbon was with Ash. With both together, it makes one, beautiful, meaningful ribbon. When they're separate, they remind the holders of the good times and are considered each's lucky charm.

This represented May well. Even though she did fine throughout Johto and so far in Sinnoh, she never felt right leaving Ash. She wanted to follow her dream, and she didn't necessarily regret going to Johto, but traveling alone gave her some time to reflect. She realized that, without Ash, she had much less fun with Contests and it took much more work and effort to win Contests. While the time away from Ash did allow her to develop more of a coordinating battle style, she realized that without her friends (namely Ash), she didn't have as much fun overall.

Ash also felt similarly. When he agreed with May that she should go to Johto, he knew that he'd regret it almost immediately. Out of all his farewells, he felt the worst about this one. The only one that came close to how sad he felt then was when he left Serena. He always kept the half ribbon with him, as a reminder of May, her beautiful smile, and her constant cheerfulness (most of which had been lost after the separated). He wanted more than anything for May to follow her dreams, but he also didn't want her to leave. Unlike May, he was always lucky enough to find great people to travel with, so he was never really lonely. And, like May, he would sometimes reach into his pocket to hold on to the ribbon, which gave him courage and strength.

So, naturally, you can guess how the two felt when they reunited at the Wallace Cup. While they didn't show it much, they were overjoyed. They both couldn't wait the spend more time together, and make more fantastic memories. But, of course, that was short lived. After the Wallace Cup, the two hadn't seen each other until two days ago, in Jubilife City.

"Ash…?"

"What is it, May?"

"Well, there's probably something I should tell you." May confessed.

"OK, well, you know you can tell me anything. Go ahead." Ash said.

"Well, a couple days ago, Mew appeared randomly in front of me."

"Wait, MEW? You mean, like, the Mew that Mewtwo was cloned off of? Like, the original?" Ash didn't believe it at first.

May nodded. "Yeah. He told me that a I'm something called the 'Light Princess'. I'm not quite sure what that means quite yet, but Mew said that I have abilities similar to Aura Guardians."

"May, that's amazing! You just found this out?" Ash was dumbfounded at the secrets the world still held from him.

May nodded again. "Yeah, I just wanted to let you know in case something weird happens. I didn't want to try to explain on the spot."

Ash nodded and smiled. "I get it. I'll keep it in mind, May."

"Ash? Do you still have this?"

Ash turned around again and looked at May, seeing that she held a half a ribbon. Ash stared at it for a moment, then grinned. "Of course I do." He said softly.

Ash reached into his right pocket, and slowly pulled out a half of a ribbon.

Ash walked back and stood next to May, and they held their respective halves of the ribbon together, creating the whole ribbon. They smiled at each other, remembering the moment, and all of the great moments they shared. Sure enough, they'd be sharing more soon.

They continued to walk down Route 218, and they did so with large smiles on their faces.

* * *

><p>Drew walked up to Nurse Joy, with a rather evil smirk on his face.<p>

"Hi, Nurse Joy,"

"Hello there, Drew," The kind nurse smiled.

"Tell me, did you happen to hear where Ash and May were headed to?" He inquired her.

"Yes, they told me they were heading east towards Oreburgh City." the nurse responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. Thank you, Nurse Joy." he thanked her.

She smiled sweetly. "It's what I'm here for."

Drew exited the Pokemon Center and headed for Route 203, without knowing that he probably wouldn't find who he was looking for.

* * *

><p>A teenage girl with long, honey colored hair was walking down the road in Lumiose City, just looking around. She wore a red skirt, and black blouse, black stocking socks, black sneakers, and a pink hat. She spotted a booth that held several different fliers. She picked one up and looked it over.<p>

'Come visit the Sinnoh Region! A beautiful place where nature prevails over all, and humans and Pokemon live in harmony with each other as well as nature!' it read.

"So, the Sinnoh region, huh? I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to go somewhere different while I do a little more training." she said to herself.

She clenched her fist on the flier.

"Now that I'm mostly over Ash, going somewhere will be a nice change of pace. I have a dream to accomplish. I won't stop until I'm the Kalos Queen!"

* * *

><p>"Sir, we've located the red orb. It's located deep in Mt. Chimney. We're going to need all the excavation tools we have to dig it out." A lady with purple hair in a red uniform said.<p>

"Hmm, that's fine. Bring all the members you need and dig it out. Call me if you need anything. If needed I can help myself." the taller man in the glasses told the lady. "Good luck, Courtney."

The lady saluted. "Yes, leader Maxie!" she ran off.

Maxie smirked. "Good. Now that we know where the red orb is, it's only a matter of time. Soon, the power of Primal Reversion will be mine to control!"

* * *

><p>"Sir, we've found out where the blue orb is. We think it's deep in Route 129. We're prepared to excavate if you're ready." A somewhat-tall, rather muscular lady in a blue uniform said.<p>

"I'll be there in 5. Gather all the people you need for the excavation. We're headed there when I get out." A tall, buff man told the lady. "Wait for me outside, Shelly."

The lady saluted. "Yes, leader Archie!" she ran off.

Archie smirked. "Good. Now that we know where the blue orb is, it's only a matter of time. Soon, the power of Primal Reversion will be mine to control!"

**A/N: Haha, you guys THOUGHT I forgot about the Terracotta Ribbon. Nope.**

**Well, I made it quite clear who the somewhat anonymous girl is, at least, I hope I did. Just to let you know, she WILL be meeting up with our main characters soon.**

**I also made it quite clear about who exactly will be causing trouble in the story. Leave your guesses in the reviews, and also tell me what I might need to fix!**

**Not much happened with Ash and May in this chapter, but there will hopefully be a little more next chapter. Personally, it bothers me when the parts not concerning the main characters are too long, so I'll try to make the foreshadowing parts a little shorter.**

**Well, thanks as always for reading. If you wanna see some gameplay and gaming playthroughs you can visit my YouTube Channel, known as SilverGaming100. Thanks again!**

**Review if you wish. See you in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7: Innocent Ferry Ride

**Chapter 7: Innocent Ferry Ride**

**A/N: Well, you think that I'd input game mechanics into the anime world? There's water on 218, so there's going to be a ferry to get there, they aren't going to ride on a water Pokemon. Most HMs don't make sense anyway.**

**As much as I want to spoil stuff, I won't. One thing I will say is that Ms. Anonymous mentioned in last chapter is taking a ferry to the same location as the main group.**

**I received several questions about some unanswered questions in the reviews and I just want to let you know that most of them will be answered by our local Aura Guardian Trainer, Riley.**

**I also saw several reviews concerning the similarities between the Aura Guardian in the Jedi. If I'm honest, I'm sorta surprised it ended up like that. I haven't seen Star Wars in a while, and being honest I sort of came up with that concept on the fly. That was sort of just a rather interesting coincidence, I guess.**

**Another thing that will happen this chapter will hopefully give you a little idea on what I have planned. Let me know what you think in the reviews!**

**Here's your hint:**  
><strong>Zinnia: 195'4"**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Two tickets to Canalave, please,"<p>

The man in the white uniform picked out two tickets from his pile and gave them to Ash and May. "Thank you. Enjoy your trip," the man told the pair.

They nodded. "Thank you," Ash said. "We will," May said at the same time.

They entered the ferry set to leave the port in about half an hour, headed for Canalave.

Ash picked up a flier as they entered. "Sooooo… what do you wanna do?" Ash asked as he flipped through the pages.

May thought for a second. "Oh! Do they have a pool?"

Ash continued to look at the places on the boat, then smiled. "Yeah, an outdoor one. It's got a diving board too. Pretty nice for a ferry."

"Yes!" May fist pumped. "I haven't been swimming in forever! I'm going to change!" she ran off.

Ash grinned and shook his head. "Why do I even bother?" he asked Pikachu, who was sitting on his shoulder. The mouse shrugged and shook his head. Soon enough, he went to the men's room to change into his bathing suit.

Ash packed his normal clothes into his backpack, and came out of the men's bathroom in his blue and red bathing suit, with navy blue around the waist and red in the rest of the suit. He also kept his black undershirt on for now. He pulled out a pair of thin, black sunglasses and put them on, knowing he would be needing them (and for more than one reason, lol).

He and Pikachu went to the pool and placed Ash's backpack at a table under a rather large umbrella. He sat down in a pool chair and was leaning back, with Pikachu in the chair next to him. As he sat, he heard over the intercom that the ferry was leaving the port, and he felt it as well.

At this point, he had a somewhat clearer idea about how girls worked. They always had to pick the right bathing suit for the situation, occasion, and location. Even without that, they had to take their time looking in the mirror, looking themselves over, etc.

What he didn't know is that they take even longer when their crush is going to be the first one to see what they chose.

* * *

><p>May still wasn't sure what to wear.<p>

'_I don't know what he would like the most, would it be a one-piece or a two-piece? Green or pink?'_ she thought to herself.

In the end, she chose the pink two-piece, hoping he would like it. Even though she thought that in the back of her mind, that Ash would have no opinion, as he never did in the past.

* * *

><p>"Well? How do I look?"<p>

Ash looked to where the voice came from and saw May standing there in a pink two-piece bathing suit, with ribbons attached. He felt a slight tinge of pink rise to his cheeks at the sight.

When May saw Ash at first, she briefly thought about how she didn't like how he had sunglasses on, so she couldn't see where he was looking. At the same time, however, she was kind of glad he did.

Contrary to popular belief, Ash was looking her up and down, attempting to create an opinion on the bathing suit. After traveling with Serena, he knew that pretty much any girl wouldn't leave a boy alone until they got an opinion.

After not too long, he looked back at May's sapphire eyes and smiled. "I think you look great, May."

May blushed bright red. "Thanks, Ash."

May walked down the stairs that led into the pool, starting to slow down as she got deeper, getting used to the temperature. As soon as she thought she was used to it, and was about to go all the way in, she heard a teenage boy yell something.

"Cannonball!"

Ash jumped off the diving board at full force, putting himself into a ball form and causing a huge splash that sprayed everyone around the origin, including May, getting the rest of her wet. Ash rose above the surface.

May pouted playfully. "Ash Ketchum! You got me all wet!"

Ash chuckled. "Excuse me, Dawn."

May attempted not to laugh at her friend's unnatural pet peeve. She eventually couldn't contain herself and began to laugh along with Ash.

When she stopped, she splashed some water on Ash.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Well then maybe you shouldn't get me all wet next time." May retorted.

Ash sighed playfully. "Yeah yeah, I'll work on it." He splashed her back.

"Hey!"

"Pika-chuuuuuuuu!"

The two looked to the side to see Pikachu jumping off the diving board and cannonballing in, similar to its trainer. It made a fairly big splash for his size, and it managed to get both his trainer and May wet.

As Pikachu rose to the surface, Ash grinned. "That was a nice one, Pikachu." Pikachu was scratched on the head by his trainer.

May was squeezing water out of her hair. "Ash, you should teach your Pokemon better behavior. Cannonballing this close to a girl should be against the law."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you say that, but soon enough, you'll be cannonballing in yourself."

May's eyes went wide when Ash figured out what she planned to do. She waved her hand and scratched the back of her head. "No, of course not! Why would I do that?"

Ash smirked. "Got ya."

May pouted. "Whatever, Ash."

They spent a nice amount of time at the pool, enjoying their time together.

* * *

><p>"Attention, passengers. We've arrived in Canalave City. Please exit the vessel."<p>

Ash and May walked down the ramp and onto the boardwalk.

"Well, that was fun." Ash smiled.

May nodded. "Yeah, it sure was. We should do that more often."

The pair finally managed to weave through the crowd of people exiting the ferry, and entered Canalave City, headed for the Pokemon Center.

As they walked, Ash bumped into someone, a girl, a little shorter than him.

"Oh, sorry about that." Ash apologized to the girl.

As the girl, several years older than them, turned to see who bumped into her, her face lit up. "You're Ash Ketchum, aren't you?" she smiled.

Ash smiled. "That's me." he said to her modestly.

The girl had short, black hair that only reached her collar. She was barely taller than May, and her figure was overall similar to that of May. She wore gray short shorts, and knee-length, tan stocking socks, as well as a black, dri-fit shirt, that had red crescent shapes on the chest. She wore faded, sandal-like shoes on her feet, along with three leg bracelets on her right leg. What caught Ash's attention the most though, was her rather odd-looking, tan cape, that formed a high collar around her neck, and the end of the cape looked as if it had been cut with scissors into a strange shape.

If one looked closely, one could see that the girl had a rainbow-colored stone attached to one of her leg bracelets.

She held out her hand. "I'm Zinnia. It's nice to meet you."

Ash hesitated for a split second; he could instantly tell there was something special about this girl. After so many adventures, he knew a special person when he saw one. He then smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Zinnia."

May then cut in front of Ash. "Zinnia? Like the flower? That's such a pretty name!" she clasped her hands together.

Zinnia blushed slightly. "Thank you. You're May Maple, right? It's nice to meet you as well." she held out her hand once again.

May smiled. "Nice to meet you, Zinnia!" she said and shook Zinnia's hand.

As their hands fell back to their sides, Zinnia asked, "So, why are you two here?"

"We're headed to Iron Island, so I can train to become an Aura Guardian." Ash told her.

"No kidding." Zinnia said to herself quietly so that the other's couldn't hear her. "That's great. Well, it was nice to meet you both. I have a feeling we'll see each other again soon."

'_Yeah, everyone knows that. Just by the way you dress I can tell that. Predictable.'_ Ash thought to himself. He smiled. "Yes, I'm sure we will."

With that, Zinnia was off, headed for the Canalave port. (HINT HINT (Where do you think she's going?))

* * *

><p>"One ticket to Sinnoh please."<p>

The girl with honey-colored hair was talking to a lady in a white uniform. The lady handed her a ticket for a ferry that was bound for the girl's destination. The girl paid and then entered the ferry.

She picked up a magazine on her way to her cabin, as this would be 2 day trip, because of the distance.

"Ah… Sinnoh. Looks beautiful. I can't wait to relax and train to become Kalos Queen." The girl said as she sat on her bed.

The intercom beeped. "Attention passengers. This is the captain. The ferry is leaving the port. We will arrive in Canalave City in 24 hours. Please enjoy the trip." he said as he hung up the intercom.

The girl exited the room and went onto the front of the vessel. "I can already tell; this will be interesting."

* * *

><p>Ash and May had gotten a room in the Canalave City Pokemon Center, and were now relaxing in their room, preparing for another ferry trip the next day to Iron Island.<p>

Ash couldn't help but continue to think about that Zinnia girl.

'_She must important to the plot somehow...'_ he thought to himself, unknowingly breaking the fourth wall.

"Ash?"

He was snapped out of his trance by May, who was looking at him with concern. "You're thinking about that Zinnia girl, aren't you?" she inquired.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I could tell just by the way she dressed that she's important, somehow."

May nodded too. "I actually thought the same thing. I may not have been in all of your other crazy adventures, but I was in enough to know that the way people dress affects their importance to something or another."

Ash nodded once again. "Yeah. We'll have to be on the lookout for her."

"Pika…" Pikachu added.

May nodded, a somewhat worried expression on her face. They then entered their respective beds, and got under the covers. Pikachu was at the far end of Ash's bed, curled up into a ball.

"Night, May."

"Night, Ash."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If I'm being honest right now, Zinnia, well… She was awesome. She really lived up to my expectations, at least until… she started to battle you. I was not a fan of her acting like a dog. So, I'm going to portray her as the calm, cool, intelligent girl I presumed her to be. Not a dog.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Again, not much happened, but we got a little more info on Ms. Anon, and she WILL be meeting up with our group in the next chapter! There's something for you to look forward to!**

**As always, if you want to see me play some games, such as Sonic, Pokemon, Five Nights, and Minecraft, head on over to my YouTube Channel, SilverGaming100. Thanks, as always!**

**Review if you wish. See you next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8: Reunion Again

**Chapter 8: Reunion Again**

**A/N: Welcome back, everyone! Hopefully a little more plot will happen here with the main characters. Here comes Ms. Anon! Fun Fact: Last Chapter had EXACTLY 2015 words including the Author's Notes.**

**Anyway, back to the story. I'm a man of my word. Ms. Anon is coming, and not too far into the chapter! I hope I made it interesting.**

**Don't look now but here's her identity:**

**Serena: 15/5'6"**

* * *

><p>Ash slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times in the process. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, seeing his Pokemon partner mimic him. The yellow mouse lazily climbed onto Ash's shoulder and greeted him.<p>

"Morning, Pikachu. Sleep well?"

"Pika."

Ash looked over to his right. "Yeah, mine was OK too."

As he looked, he saw the sleeping figure of the beautiful girl who had kindly agreed to accompany him to Iron Island. He could already tell that their trip to Iron Island would be delayed; their journeys like this always were. So, while May continued to sleep soundly, he decided to get ready along with Pikachu.

May opened her eyes, her vision going from blurry to clear slowly. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking to her left, seeing the caring, cute teenage boy putting on his trademark hat. She smiled adoringly at the sight.

Ash finished up his preparations, and after putting on his hat, he noticed that May was sitting up in her bed.

"Morning, May."

"Morning Ash. What are you doing up so early? You're usually the one to sleep in." May inquired.

Ash shrugged. "Not sure what happened exactly." he grinned. "I'm gonna go downstairs while you get ready; I'm sure we're not going to Iron Island obstacle-free."

May smiled at him lightheartedly. "Yeah, I hate to admit it, but you're probably right. Alright, I'm gonna go shower. See ya downstairs."

"Yeah."

Ash, with Pikachu, exited their room in the Pokemon Center. "I need some fresh air."

* * *

><p>"We have arrived in Sinnoh. Would all passengers please exit the vessel."<p>

Serena waded through the crowd of people exiting the ferry. The port, somewhat close to the Pokemon Center, was huge, as Canalave sat at the far east end of Sinnoh. Many boats, ferries, and cruise ships carry passengers there; it's a major port for Sinnoh.

Serena stretched when she was finally out of the port and free from the crowd of people. "Wow, this is amazing. This city is supposed to be one of the least impressive cities of this region. I'm impressed. This will be a great place for my training."

She looked over to where the Pokemon Center was located. It was rather far away, but close enough to see fairly well. "I should probably head to the Pokemon Center." she told herself. Exiting the Center at the time she was looking was a familiar teenage boy with a yellow Pokemon on his shoulder.

At this sight, Serena stopped in her tracks. "No… is that?" she watched as the boy stretched along with his Pokemon. She could see him consult his Pokemon on something; she couldn't see the expression on his face, so she didn't know what it was about.

The boy walked back inside the Pokemon Center. Serena was still staring at the same spot, thinking about what she just saw. "Ash?"

* * *

><p>After May was done getting ready, she headed straight for the cafeteria. The incident from the morning had mostly exited her mind; though she couldn't help but occasionally remember what happened.<p>

When she arrived, it wasn't hard to find Ash stuffing his face with just about every entree the Cafeteria offered. May giggled at this; Ash never changed when it came to food. Then again, neither did she.

After she gathered her own replica of Ash's plate, she sat down across from him in the booth he was seated at. He momentarily ceased eating to greet May. "There you are. Welcome to the party." he joked. May rolled her eyes playfully.

Serena was still in a bit of disbelief, but she entered the Pokemon Center regardless, half expecting to find Ash.

After reserving a room from Nurse Joy, she had a thought. If there was spot she could find Ash, she knew exactly where it was.

The cafeteria.

* * *

><p>Ash was stuffed full of Pokemon Center cafeteria food; though May was nowhere close to done. Ash stood up.<p>

"Well, while you continue to stuff your face; I'm done stuffing my face, so I'll just wait for you in the lobby." he told May.

May heard him, but didn't respond, as her mouth was full of pancakes. Ash headed to the lobby, not expecting to find someone he knew all too well.

Ash entered the lobby, sitting on one of the benches that was stationed close to the cafeteria.

"Ready to roll, Pikachu?"

"Pika-chu!"

Ash scratched his chin. "Though I still can't help but feel scared about the 'IT'S ME' that someone said this morning. I feel like I know the voice, but I don't know for sure."

"Pika." It nodded with a look of worry and discomfort.

"Ash?"

The teen in question was scratching behind his partner's ears, when he heard a soft, feminine voice call his name. He looked over and saw a teenage girl, slightly shorter than him, standing there, with a long, red skirt, a black blouse, black leggings, black sneakers with pink Pokeball imprints, as well as her trademark pink hat.

Ash stood up and looked in slight shock. "Serena?"

Pikachu tilted his head. "Pika?"

Serena smiled wide and gasped. "Ash! It is you!"

Ash followed her example and smiled wide. The two closed the distance between each other, catching themselves in a warm embrace. Serena wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, while Ash caught Serena around her back. However, this embrace only lasted a matter of seconds until they broke.

"It's good to see you!" Ash said, a huge smile still on his face.

"Pika!" Pikachu greeted the polite girl, climbing onto her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek, making her giggle. "Hey, Pikachu! Nice to see you too!" she said, implying both of the partners.

"What are you doing in Sinnoh?"

"Just a detour. I'm here to get a bit of break from Kalos. I'm still training to become Kalos Queen, though. I won't stop until I am!"

Ash nodded and crossed his arms across his chest. "That's the Serena I know."

Serena giggled at the boy's response.

May saw Ash smiling with his arms crossed, talking to a giggling teenage girl. Lucky for her, she missed the embrace between the two. Though she didn't have positive thoughts about the scene, she knew she would have to let it go; a lot of relationships break because of misunderstandings.

She approached Ash, slightly frowning. "Ash? Who is this?"

Ash smiled and looked over at May. "Oh, May. This is Serena, she traveled with me when I was in Kalos."

Ash then turned to Serena. "Serena, this is May. She traveled with me when I was in Hoenn and Kanto."

Serena spotted the slight frown on May's face; she knew exactly what that meant. Serena kind of wanted to travel with Ash again, but she needed to prove to this May girl that she wasn't a threat to her.

Serena closed her eyes and smiled. "Nice to meet you, May." she held out her hand.

May still wasn't completely sure about this girl, but she decided to play nice for now. "Nice to meet you too." she smiled and shook her hand.

Ash smiled, as his two friends finally met each other. He had been thinking that a journey with May and Serena would be an interesting one.

"So Serena, you're not doing anything in particular, right?" Ash asked the girl.

"No, not really. Why?"

"Well, why don't you come with May and I to Iron Island? It's not the prettiest place, but it's a great spot for training." Ash suggested. May cringed a bit at the thought.

Serena grinned at the thought that Ash had invited her to travel AGAIN. "Sure! I'd love to come!" she agreed happily.

May sighed. She should've known that Ash would be nice enough to ask Serena if she wanted to come. That was the Ash she was crushing on.

So May decided to give it a rest, and flashed a smile. She figured that it would be beneficial to give Serena a chance, and maybe become friends with her.

That left the group of three standing in the lobby, all smiling at each other, looking forward to the future.

* * *

><p>Ash opened his eyes.<p>

He found himself in a dark-colored, empty space. The setting he was in was a collage of dark colors, moving in an unsettling manner.

"Ash!"

Ash turned around to find May. May was slowly being brought down into a quicksand-like material. She screamed in horror in fear of being cast into the void.

"May! No!"

Ash ran to where May was, but while he was running it didn't seem like he was getting any closer. All of a sudden, he was up there with May. He reached down to May.

"Take my hand!"

May reached for his hand, but was sucked into the whirlpool.

"May!" Ash jumped in after her. As they fell, Ash dove and caught May in a tight embrace. "No! Ash! Don't!"

Both of them soon blacked out from the fall. Their vision was black for a moment, but then their vision was filled up with the continuous flashing of a black figure, most likely a Pokemon's head.

If one looked closely, one could see a dark face, and a white, smoke-like shadow coming out of it's head.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked it! They're not headed for Iron Island yet, but there's gonna be a small arc of foreshadowing what may or may not happen and who may or may not be the main antagonist.**

**Also, one thing I do want you to know, if you haven't read my profile, I am a huge AmourShipper. I kind of added Serena on a whim; I wanted to sort of add some more diversity to the story and implement a new character with an old one.**

**Anyways, I've never personally been much of a fan of love triangles; even if it really isn't one. So I'm implementing a new OC to balance things out next chapter! So we'll have Ash & May, + OC & Serena. The OC will be mostly based off myself, and will share my internet name, Silver. Now, I'm not pairing him up with Serena for self-benefit. I do really like Serena as a character, but the main purpose I'm putting in an OC based off myself is for three reasons; 1. To balance out the group; 2 Males, 2 Females, so everyone can end up with a special one. 2. I think if I put in a character based off myself, it will give me more of a reason to continue writing. You all who write FanFics out there might know what I mean. 3. I want to use my OC as a way for you all to learn a little more about me as a person. I think you'll find my OC has a personality that's rather similar to that of Ash.**

**I've done a now reasonable number of XY Anime Discussions on my YouTube Channel, SilverTV. I also play many diverse games on that Channel, so go check it out if you want! Thanks!**

**Review if you wish. See you later.**


	9. AITD: Author's Note I

**Author's Note I**

**Hey everyone, it's Silver. I just wanted to let you know that this story is going to be on temporary hiatus until later. Please keep in mind that I will still be working on this story in my free time, but it will not be posted to FanFiction.**

**In it's place I'll be working on an AmourShipping Trilogy series, as the majority of AmourShipping FanFics are short one-shots that are just romance. SOOOO I'm gonna work on a romance/action/adventure AmourShipping series of stories. I have yet to find an AmourShipping FanFic longer than 10 chapters that isn't just drabbles. I think it's about time I change that!**

**Upon request, I will let you guys beta-read what I have in store for this story. This author's note will eventually be removed, so it's not just sitting in the middle of the story. If you want to beta-read the story, PM me that you want to beta-read Aura in the Dark and your Google account and I will share the Google Document(s) with you (one for each chapter). You won't be permitted to edit but you will be permitted to view and comment. Leave comments where you think I should change something and also with your feedback.**

**Thanks! Please keep in mind that should I finish this story in my free time, ALL of it will be posted at once. You will get the entire rest of the story all at once. Make sure to leave your ideas in the reviews, as well as your feedback. Maybe if I finish one part of the AmourShipping Trilogy, I'll give you guys what I have of this story! Look out for the first episode of the Trilogy, and maybe when it's done, I'll give you some of this story!**

**Thanks again. See you later.**


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